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2009 (1) TMI 545 - Commission - Indian LawsRTI - with the PIO, Municipal Corporation of Delhi - seeking information pertaining to all the works awarded - no reply was received within the mandated time of 30 days - appellate authority recorded in his order that complaint is in the habit of asking for information which may not be pertaining to him or his area of residence or work place etc. nor does it serve any public interest Held that - Complainant is not required under the RTI Act to prove public interest at the time of seeking information. The aim of the RTI Act is to usher in transparency and accountability in the governance - Voluntary disclosures of more and more information by the public authorities is a statutory requirement under the Act, and would indeed go a long way in ushering transparency and accountability in the system.
The Central Information Commission, in a 2009 case presided over by Shri Sailesh Gandhi, addressed a complaint filed by Mr. Ashok Kumar regarding his RTI application to the PIO of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Mr. Kumar sought information on works awarded during 2001-2006 using discretionary Councillor funds in the South Zone of the MCD. After receiving no response within the mandated 30 days, he filed a First Appeal, which led to an order from the First Appellate Authority directing the Administrative Officer and E.E. Division to provide the information. The Authority's order included remarks questioning the public interest of the information and criticized Mr. Kumar's information requests. The Commission dismissed the complaint, noting that the Authority's remarks were unwarranted and displayed a lack of understanding of the RTI Act. The complainant is not required to prove public interest when seeking information, as the Act aims to promote transparency and accountability in governance. The Commission emphasized that public authorities should voluntarily disclose information under Section 4 of the RTI Act, as this promotes transparency and accountability within the system.
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