Panjab University fails to give info under RTI

TNN 29 November 2009,



CHANDIGARH: Panjab University (PU) scrapped the list of 48 items,
which had been exempted from the purview of Right To Information (RTI) Act,
from its handbook on the direction of chief information commission (CIC).

However, it failed to provide complete information sought by an applicant
under RTI, following which, the complainant again approached the CIC
on Thursday. A few months ago, complainant Nitin Goyal had filed an
RTI seeking some details, which were, however, not acceded to by the
university. It claimed that the information sought was among the list
of 48 items included in the university hand book that was not included
under RTI.

The complainant had then approached the CIC demanding relief.
The CIC on November 6 directed the university to withdraw the list of
48 exempted items, titled list of items of information that cannot be
disclosed under the RTI Act, from the handbook. It further directed the
PIO to give complete information sought by the complainant before
November 26.

However, the complainant claimed that the information
provided by the PIO was insufficient. According to the complaint,
the PIO was directed to give the complainant copy of complaints and
actions taken by the disciplinary committee on these. If no action was
taken, it should also be stated. But the PIO provided him with incomplete
information on November 25.

Copies of complaints against Sukhmani Bal Riar, Rohit Sharma,
Semha Rai and Jaspreet Kaur were denied on the pretext that
these cases were pending, claimed Goyal.

Moreover, in October,
PU employee Gurcharan Singh Malhi was allegedly caught tampering
with re-evaluation results of two students. Finance development
officer Vikram Nayyar said “If the complainant was dissatisfied,
he was free to check the documents with PU.”