CIC cautions PMO over delayed reply to RTI queries on PM’s Eid

messages New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) The Central InformationCommission has cautioned the Prime Minister’s Office to adopt"due seriousness" in the handling of Right to Informationapplications and provide responses within the mandatory timelimit. The matter relates to one Mohammed Khalid Jilani whowanted to know from the Prime Minister’s Office whether PrimeMinister Narendra Modi had given the messages on the occasionsof Bakra Eid in 2014, and Baravafat and Eid-ul-Fitr in 2015. Jilani sought to know complete details of the messages,if these were given, along with the mode of communication. Healso asked if the Prime Minister had attended any Roza-Iftarparty in 2014 and 2015, and the details of such programmes. Jilani claimed before the transparency panel that theresponse to his one question was provided after four months offiling of the application while for the remaining two he wasgiven a reply after 10 months. "After 10 months, the PMO informed me that if I neededthis information, I have to go through the website of the PMO.If they had to provide me the link of the website, they couldhave done so within one month of filing my RTI," Jilani said. He also said that his first appeal to the PMO wasresponded to after 64 days as against 30 days’ mandatory limitunder the transparency law. Jilani demanded that penalty be imposed on the PMO fornot adhering to mandatory limit of 30 days in responding toRTI application. The PMO, in its response, said it had issued an interimreply stating that information shall be provided as and whenreceived from the offices concerned. Chief Information Commissioner R K Mathur said it isobserved that information to the appellant was not providedwithin the stipulated period of time. However, there was nomala fide on the part of the respondent (the PMO). "The respondent is advised to be cautious in future andensure that RTI applications are dealt with due seriousnessand information is provided within the stipulated period oftime to the appellant. If the CPIO (Central Public InformationOfficer) has to seek information from some other officers,they may have to be treated as ‘deemed’ CPIOs and beresponsible for providing information within stipulated timelimits," Mathur said. PTI ABS SMN RTSMN