The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Information Commission to be set up

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 04, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Information Commission to be set up

Roy Mathew

Plan to announce implementation of Right to Information Act by November 1

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The next meeting of the Cabinet will take a decision on the appointment of State Information Commission and other measures needed for enforcement of the Right to Information Act.

The Government proposes to announce full-fledged implementation of the Act, which comes into effect on October 12, by November 1 to coincide with the Golden Jubilee of State formation. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy held discussions with Government Secretaries on enforcement of the Act on Monday. Indications are that the politicians and bureaucracy are not very keen on implementing the Act in its true spirit.

Special officer

The Government is likely to designate Chief Secretary Palatt Mohandas, who is to retire this month, as the special officer to frame rules and take other steps to carry out the provisions of the Act.

The appointment of Chief Information Commissioner and a few Commissioners would be done before October 12.

The Secretaries heading various departments are likely to be designated as the appellate authorities. However, it is not yet clear whether the Secretaries themselves would be the appellate authorities for the public sector units and other Government-funded organisations covered under the provisions of the Act.

Some provisions of enactment such as the obligation of public authorities to designate Public Information Officers and Assistant Information Officers (at the sub divisional level), Constitution of Information Commission and non-applicability of the Act to intelligence and security organisations have already come into force.

The officers, besides the Commission, are to be in place by October 12.

However, publication of indexes and catalogues of records, organisational details, powers, functions and duties by public authorities; procedure followed for decision making, including channels of supervision and accountability; the norms set by them for the discharge of their functions and the rules, regulations, instructions, manuals and records used by them are likely to be done only in a phased manner.

Though the Act was passed months ago, the Government has so far not taken any steps in this direction.

The Act grants citizens the right to inspect works, documents, records; take notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records; take certified samples of material and obtain information in the form of printouts, diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through printouts from public authorities.

The information covered under the Act includes records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force.

The Act lays down penalties in case the official concerned fail to provide information requested by citizens within 30 days. Intelligence and security agencies are excluded from the provisions of the Act.

Besides, the Act exempts ten types of information, which are sensitive in nature from disclosure to public.

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