Punjab State Information Commission on Monday declared two Gow Sewa Samitis of ludhiana as “public authorities”, directing these societies to provide required information to the appellant within 30 days under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Disposing off two similar appeals in this regard filed by ludhiana-resident Dinesh Jethi, the State Information Commissioner Yashvir Mahajan ordered that as the societies in question are being substantially financed by a body of the government and squarely fits into the definition of Section 2(h)(d)(ii) of the Act, thus, we accordingly declare these as “public authorities” with the direction to the presidents of the societies to part with the information asked for within 30 days to the appellant and take simultaneous action as envisaged under Section 4 and 5 of the Act.
Commission’s official spokesperson said that two cases have been filed with the contention that Gow Sewa Samiti, Partap Singh Wala, Hambran Road, ludhiana, and Gobind Godham, Partap Singh Wala, ludhiana, were getting regular grants from the Municipal Corporation, ludhiana, and as such they qualify to be designated as public authorities with resultant obligations under RTI Act.
After reviewing the documents, the Commission said that more than a crore of rupees each year, perpetually from the public funds, is being given to a society for the functions, which are more in the nature of a public duty.
The argument of the respondents that they were only discharging a contractual obligation with the government by charging a fee of Rs 30 per cattle was of no consequence when seen in larger aforesaid perspective, stated the order.
Concluding, the Commission stated that it was “indisputable that the Society is charging more than a crore of rupees annually from the year 2010 onwards continuously for attending to more than 1000 heads of cattle from the Municipal Corporation”.