Whispers Forum

The appellant has sought information about the competent authority responsible to take action on the alleged irregularities and misuse of funds. The appellant was guided to the website where information is available. The CIC observed that the PIO could not provide the hyperlink where the information is available. The appellant categorically denied the availability of information on the website. The CIC observed that there is no mechanism to check the availability without the PIO’s assistance and directed that the information available on the website can be printed and given to the appellant in the interest of transparency.
Comments
In most cases where the information is available on the website of the organisation, the PIO is not supposed to take a printout and provide it to the applicant. The PIO should provide the specific link of the page rather than giving a vague reply that the information is available on the website of the organisation.
Citation: T Retna Pandian v. Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology in File no.: CIC/DBTEC/A/2020/133004, Date of Decision: 31/03/2022
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is an expert on RTI matters and has co-authored the books RIGHT TO INFORMATION - LAW AND PRACTICE and PIO’s guide to RTI. Apart from her weekly article here, her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link: www.rtifoundationofindia.com

The news that election strategist Prashant Kishor i.e. P K joining the Congress may not be good news for many senior party leaders. The leaders are beginning to fear that now their chair could go. So far they have been successful in getting tickets despite failing to win in the election and they must now be worried about their future. Can party High Command give precedence to P K over established and senior leaders. Many of them must not be happy, especially G-23 members. Apart from this, some party leaders are also mobilizing against P K in the name of preserving the established party ideology. They argue that they cannot keep silent as the reins of the party are being handed over to an outsider in a jiffy, while they worked all their life for the party.
Harsh Saxena

Honor and respect to our senior citizens starting from Satya Yug to Treta to Dwapar Yug we have followed our culture/tradition and paid respect and regard to our elders or senior citizens. This has to continue in Kali Yug also. We are following the tradition even today to pay respect and regard to elders. Let us call senior citizens. There are various ways to pay respect and honor to our senior citizens. Senior citizens are being treated with respect in many spheres of life including society. They are being given preferential treatment. They deserve it also. Respecting our elders should be a courtesy ingrained in every one of us. Senior citizens have a lifetime of experience. Recently Air India now owned by TATA kept the tradition of giving 50% discount on base fare to senior citizens. Worth praising step by corporate entity.
Naveen

The complainant submitted that the requested information has not been provided to him by the LIC Housing Finance Ltd. The respondent submitted that the Hon’ble High Court of Bombay vide Writ Petition No. 2327/ 2009 has already granted stay on applicability of RTI Act to LIC Housing Finance Ltd. vide order dated 18.01.2010 and the matter is sub-judice before the Hon’ble High Court of Bombay. Hence, the information sought cannot be provided to the appellant. The CIC disposed off the complaint..
Comments
A simple issue such as whether or not the LIC Housing Finance Ltd. is a public authority, has been pending before the Hon’ble High Court for more than 12 years. Such inordinate delays would shake the faith of the people in the RTI Act, 2005.
Citation: Mr. B P Thirupalu v. LIC Housing Finance Limited in Complaint No. CIC/LICOI/C/2020/678378, Date of order: 08-04-202
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is an expert on RTI matters and has co-authored the books RIGHT TO INFORMATION - LAW AND PRACTICE and PIO’s guide to RTI. Apart from her weekly article here, her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link: www.rtifoundationofindia.com

It seems inflation spiraled out of control in the country. The prices of essential commodities are skyrocketing astronomically. An unemployed country with a burgeoning population is posing a serious threat to the existence of the common herd.
Sunil Kumar
Festivals losing their cultural significance?
Hindu festivals are being increasingly used by politicians for political gains to woo Hindu voters and so these festivals are slowly beginning to lose their religious and cultural significance and are becoming a tool for politicians, especially those belonging to BJP, to increase their popularity among Hindu voters. Crores of rupees are being spent on celebrating these festivals in a grand manner with large gatherings and extravagant ceremonies are organized. In Madhya Pradesh, the Congress state unit has decided to hold religious programmes on Hindu festivals in a bid to end BJP’s monopoly on these festivals. Who will gain from all this as it is leading to only wasteful expenditures?
Vinay Kumar