Taking cognisance of large number of pending Right to Information (RTI) applications with the department, Director (Estate and Work) Public Works Department (PWD), has asked the concerned officials and the Public Information Officers (PIO) to dispose-off the pending applications on the online RTI portal at earliest.
In a recently held meeting, the PWD revealed that the status of around 600 court cases not been uploaded in the E-Litigation portal.
“All the chief engineers and the other concerned officers should instruct the respective PIOs and FAAs to ensure the disposal of pending RTI/appeals at the earliest without any further delay. Further, the chief engineer may also direct the concerned Executive Engineers to look into the matter in person and dispose-off all RTI applications,” read the minutes, as said by the Engineer in Chief.
There are about 916 court cases are available on the e-litigation portal, out of which only the status of about 322 court cases have been uploaded. However, the status of around 600 cases is not ascertained.
“The lists of these cases have already been forwarded to all the concerned offices through email for identifying the jurisdiction of such cases through the respective field units. It was also decided that all the chief engineers and others should instruct the respective circle/divisions to ensure that these court cases are identified and their status updated on e-litigation portal and submit report in the matter to E-in-C office without any further delay,” said a PWD official on condition of anonymity.
Moreover, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the public authorities to appoint a Nodal Officer and a transparency officer to oversee the implementation and report to the commission through quarterly reports of receipts, disposal and pendency of RTI Applications and Appeals.
Meanwhile, an advocate and RTI activist Mohit Kumar Gupta, said, “PWD should take suitable action against the CPIO and FAA by initiating disciplinary action. The legal responsibility under the RTI Act, 2005 rests primarily upon the CPIO and thereafter upon judicious decision making by the senior officer who acts as Appellate Authority and renders a check upon fair implementation of transparency law in letter and spirit.”