Tue Oct 29 16:29:12 UTC 2024: Published – October 29, 2024 09:59 pm IST – CoimbatoreRTI activists are raising concerns about the Coimbatore Corporation’s lack of transparency in responding to Right to Information (RTI) requests.S.P. Thiyagarajan, an RTI activist, has been awaiting a response for three years regarding his RTI query on the appointment of several officials, alleging corrupt practices. “It’s frustrating to witness this lack of accountability,” he said.
He also highlighted his request for bills related to the ₹76 lakh spent by the civic body over 80 days to control the Vellalore dump yard fire, which began on April 6, 2024. The allocation of ₹27.52 lakh for tea and coffee for firefighters over just 12 days has raised allegations of fund misuse. “If the Corporation has the bills to justify these expenses, they should disclose them immediately,” Mr. Thiyagarajan said.Another activist, N.R. Ravishankar, emphasised the need for awareness camps on the RTI Act for officials in Coimbatore, as many are unsure how to respond. He noted that under Section 20(1) of the RTI Act, the Central Information Commission (CIC) or State Information Commission (SIC) can impose penalties of ₹250 per day on Public Information Officers (PIOs) for failing to provide information, up to a maximum of ₹25,000, payable from the PIO’s salary. “This process is rarely enforced, which delays responses,” he added.
“After I complained to the Chief Information Commissioner, I finally received replies to all my RTI requests,” Mr. Ravishankar noted.Activists are also calling for the creation of an online facility for filing RTIs to streamline the process and improve accessibility.
Published – October 29, 2024 09:59 pm ISTCopyright© 2024, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
Terms & conditions | Institutional SubscriberComments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
First Piper 