CIC Orders Inquiry Into Notes Exchanged At Delhi Post Office Branches As RTI Reply Hints At Massive Fraud [Read Order]

The Central Information Commission has ordered an inquiry into the exchange of old currency notes after demonetisation at post office branches in Pinto Park and the Air Force area in south Delhi after an RTI applicant raised suspicion of fraud and irregularities in the exchange of currency.Information Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu ordered the inquiry into the exchange of notes at the two...

CIC Calls For Views On Bringing Parliamentary Parties Under RTI Act, Says MPs Obliged To Disclose Works, Use Of Funds Under MPLADS [Read Order]

Opining that “in principle, every legislature/parliamentary party shall be considered as public authority”, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has called for views from the BJP and other political parties as to why legislature/ parliamentary parties should not be brought under the purview of RTI Act and why were they not disclosing...

Upload Impugned Lower Court Orders Corresponding To Judgments On The Madras HC Website: CIC Recommends [Read Order]

The Central Information Commission has recommended Madras High Court to upload impugned orders of lower courts and tribunals corresponding to the judgments available on its website.Information Commissioner Mr. R.K. Mathur observed that uploading the impugned orders would “help the general public, litigants and all other stake holders in linking the...

Clarify Stand On Claims Of Taj Mahal Being A Shiva Temple: CIC Recommends Centre [Read Order]

The Central Information Commission recommended that the Ministry of Culture should clarify its stand on the conflicting claims regarding the Taj Mahal being a Shiva Temple rather than a mausoleum built by Shahjahan.Information Commissioner Prof. M. Sridhar Acharyulu also directed the Archaeological Survey of India to share with the Appellant,...

New CIC Bench To Hear Complaints Against Political Parties For Not Complying RTI, Prof. Sridhar Not In the Bench

Chief Information Commissioner RK Mathur has reconstituted a larger bench to hear complaints against six national political parties – BJP, Congress, BSP, NCP, CPI, CPM – for not complying with the CIC order which brought them under the purview of the RTI Act. Surprisingly Prof. Sridhar Acharyulu, who headed the earlier bench is not included in the...

Applicant-Jurno Has No Right To Build Pressure For Adverts By Filing RTI Pleas: CIC

While disposing of a case where the RTI applicant, the editor of a magazine, was denied a copy of complaints instituted under the Ministry of Minority Affairs against employees of  Dargah committee, Dargah Khwaja Sahib, Ajmer, the CIC has remarked that a journalist does not have the right to demand advertisements for his magazine by building...

CIC Asks NCW To Pay Token Compensation Of Rs. 50K To Ex-Employee Who Complained Of Sexual Harassment [Read Order]

Appalled at the National Commission for Women (NCW) for denying human rights to their ex-contractual research assistant who was allegedly sexually harassed by its Deputy Secretary, the Central Information Commission has directed NCW to pay Rs. 50,000 compensation to the woman in 15 days, while also slapping Rs. 25,000 cost on the accused and the...

Officers However High Not Above RTI Act, CIC Treats Chief Vigilance Officer As Deemed PIO And Issues Show Cause Notice [Read Order]

The Central Information Commission, on Friday, treated the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Employees State Insurance Company (ESIC) as its deemed PIO, and issued him a show cause notice, as the Commission deliberated upon imposition of penalty on ESIC.Information Commissioner, Prof. M. Sridhar Acharyulu was hearing an Appeal filed by one Mr....

Display Details Of Free Education To Weaker Sections Of The Society: Haryana Information Commission To State And Schools [Read Order]

State Information Commission, Haryana has directed the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) and Educational Institutions to display information on the grant of free education by Educational Institutions. A compliance report has been directed to be filed by 1 November.This was in furtherance of an undertaking given to the DTCP by Schools/...

PIOs Challenging Penalty Under Sec.20 Cannot Engage Govt. Counsel: TN Government [Read Order]

The Tamil Nadu Government has directed Public Information Officers (PIOs) to abstain from engaging a Government Counsel in matters where the PIO intends to challenge imposition of penalty under Section 20 of the Right to Information Act, 2005.Section 20 of the Act empowers the CIC or the SIC to recommend disciplinary action or impose a penalty on a...

CIC Directs Disclosure Of Numeric Data Of Officers Facing Corruption Charges [Read Order]

The Central Information Commission recently directed the Government to disclose numeric details of pending as well as disclosed Departmental/ Vigilance/ Court cases against the employees of various departments.“Disclosure of such data shall serve as a tool in better governance and thus undoubtedly serves larger public interest,” Information...

Banks Not Liable For Theft In Lockers, Reveals RBI In RTI Query

An RTI response by the RBI and 19 PSU banks has disclosed that locker hiring agreement between the public sector banks and the customers absolves the banks of any liability for theft or burglary in the lockers.The banks stated in the response that the relationship between the locker hirer and the bank is that of a lessor and a lessee and therefore,...