Activists demonstrate against Punjab information commission

CHANDIGARH - Right to Information (RTI) activists Monday demonstrated outside the Punjab State Information Commission here to protest delays in giving details to applicants.

Carrying placards and banners against Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) R.I. Singh, the activists raised slogans against the commission.

The people who are running the State Information Commission are least bothered about the common man. This is our first phase of agitation and we will intensify it in the coming days, said H.C. Arora, president of RTI Activists Federation, Punjab, while talking to reporters.

R.I. Singh is working with a closed mind to derail the RTI Act in Punjab. He is deliberately delaying the process of furnishing information to applicants. Information commissioners are very irregular and they sit for only two-three days, for only a few hours, in their offices in the entire week, he added.

Arora said that they submitted a charter of demands to the commission Nov 16 but so far they had not received any response.

There are many cases where information commissioners have snubbed appellants and complainants, said Arora, who is himself a lawyer.

Chief Information Commissioner Singh denied the allegations.

We have already sent our recommendations, over their charter of demands, to the governor. We are working in a very transparent manner and every information is displayed on our website and notice-boards. We are always ready to meet and discuss things with anyone, Singh told IANS.

The federation announced that it would publish a booklet named One hundred ridiculous decisions of Punjab State Information Commission in January next year.