Legal body rapped for RTI delay

For all his declarations of making judiciary in the Capital more responsive to the Right to Information Act, Delhi High Court chief justice A P Shah’s message appears to be lost on his subordinates. And again, it’s been left to the Central Information Commission (CIC) to point this out.

Unhappy with the manner in which an 83-year-old RTI applicant was made to run from pillar to post by Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) — which refused to acknowledge the RTI filed by him regarding legal aid — the CIC has summoned its PIO. It has also slapped a show cause notice on DLSA, demanding an explanation as to why it shouldn’t be penalized by way of a hefty fine for sitting over the RTI plea for almost three months.

Chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah has asked the DLSA official to appear before him on January 7 to answer why the plea of one Prem Chand Gupta has been ignored despite it being routed twice via HC. There was no response from the authority even though it has an office in HC itself and must have received the query in time.

The PIO will also have to prepare a defence against slapping of extra penalty by CIC because according to Gupta, he overstayed in Delhi awaiting a response to his plea. Meanwhile, he ran out of money and was thrown out of the hotel for being unable to foot his bills. Irked at DLSA’s non-serious approach, CIC warned DLSA in its show cause notice that it might be asked to cough up compensation to Gupta if unable to explain this delay.

The case stemmed from an RTI plea filed by Gupta in August in which he sought a copy of an order passed in his case by the then chief justice who had been transferred. Since the decision of HC was in connection with legal aid to be provided to Gupta, he also filed an RTI before member secretary HC Legal Services Committee, Dharmesh Sharma.

On not receiving any response from Sharma, Gupta filed another RTI plea before HC only to see it passed on to DLSA which sat on it for months. Intrigued at DLSA’s attitude to a plea forwarded by none other than HC, Gupta moved court for the third time in October, politely reminding the officials of his advanced age and poor finances. But the authority remained unmoved, refusing to even respond to his RTI plea by due date.

SNAIL’S PACE RESPONSE

CIC summons DLSA official for its failure to respond to an RTI plea of an 83-year-old

CIC also slaps showcause notice

Litigant claims DLSA’s delay led to his being thrown out of the hotel where he was staying as he ran out of money
Source:-The Times of India Delhi 31 December 2008 P. 7
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