The public information officer (PIO) of the prisons’ department is in trouble for not providing information to a 2006 train blast accused under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Taking a serious stand on the matter, the Maharashtra State Information Commission (MSIC) has directed the additional chief secretary (home) to initiate a disciplinary inquiry against the PIO.
The case pertains to accused Ehtesham Siddiqui, who filed an application under RTI seeking a copy of the prison manual, police manual and details about cases registered against jail staff and police personnel across the state.
Siddiqui had filed an application with the home department and the application was transferred to the office of the inspector general (IG) of prisons.
On not get an answer from the office of IG, he made his first appeal to the first appellate authority, who is the IG himself, yet no order was passed. He later filed a second appeal with the office of the MSIC.
“The PIO did not appear before the commission even after being served a showcause notice. This is a very serious issue. The ACS (home) will conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit a report in a month,” said chief information commissioner (CIC) Ratnakar Gaikwad, in his order passed on September 20.
According to the CIC, the PIO was served with a showcause notice and called personally on September 19 to explain why action should not be taken against him for the delay in furnishing information under the provisions of the RTI. However, he did not come, Mr Gaikwad said, adding that though the MSIC office gave him a call again, he did not show up.
Siddiqui’s lawyer Shahid Nadeem said that the second appeal was decided on August 21 and the SIC directed the PIO to provide the information sought by the accused, and also a showcause notice was issued to the PIO. However, Siddiqui has not yet received the information, Mr Nadeem added.