[HumJanenge] General Administration Dept. of Odisha was directed to provide hard copy of Annual Property Statement of IAS officers By Odisha Info. Commission

 General Administration Dept. of Odisha was directed to provide hard copy of Annual Property Statement of IAS officers by Tarun Kanti Mishra, Odisha Chief Information Commissioner

Dear friends

A few days back on 30.7.12, while disposing  my Complaint petition ( CC No.-  1772/2010), Mr. Tarun Kanti Mishra, State Chief Information Commissioner had denied  to provide the property statement of a  State officer on the ground of section 8(1)(e) and 8(1)(j) of RTI Act. ( Earlier posting in this regard is attached for reference)

 

But in another case same Chief Information Commissioner,  while hearing  and disposing  my Complaint petition (CC No.-1744/11) on 8.8.12,  has  directed the PIO of GA Dept. to provide  hard copy of Annual property Statement of  5 IAS officers  which was denied   on ground of section  8 (1)(j) of RTI Act in 2010.  During    hearing in the month of May, 2012, the PIO , Dept. of GA has submitted affidavit before the Commission  that  the information is  available  in the website.  I was absent in the hearing. In the next hearing  in the month of June , 2012, the Commission  tried  to close  the case   directing me to download the said information  from the website  on the basis of affidavit  filed  by the PIO. But I challenged it as the said information was not available in the website of GA Dept.  The Commission got a little bit disturbed and directed his staff to verify it the website immediately.  After 20 minute search,  he informed that  the said information was not available.  In fact in home page of GA Dept. http://www.odisha.gov.in/ga., there is  a caption "Property Return Status
(All India Service Officers)". If anybody clicks on it, he or she will not find any information about property statement of IAS officers.   Getting confirmed about non-availability of information, Mr. Tarun Kanti Mishra   fixed another date 8.8.12 for hearing of the case.  During hearing on the said date, the PIO along with another officer submitted that the said information is not available in website of GA Dept. but in another website www.ipr.ias.nic.in. Then the said website was verified and found true. The Commission   asked them how the citizens will know the name of website to get such information. They remained silence.  The Commission directed them to make clear the confusion created in GA Dept. website, bring necessary changes in the website and put link of the said website www.ipr.ias.nic.in.  in order to   facilitate   the process of  accessing  information  by citizens.

 

Now  the question comes, when  the Annual Property Statement  of All India Service Cadre  is available  in public domain  and accessed by citizens  even getting hard copy of it,  at the same time  the Information Commission denies  to provide property statement of   State officer or lower staff of state Govt. What will be harm to state, if the Property statement of  odisha administrative service or lower level office staff  will be publicly  disclosed.  Why  the  Commission hesitates  to direct State Govt. to disclose property statement of   state officers.  It also needs  to be mentioned here that  the property statement of  Ministers, Judges  are  now publicly  disclosed and accessible under RTI Act across the country.

 

Regards

Pradip Pradhan

M-99378-43482

Date- 9.8.12