10 January,2011 07:06 AM IST | | Correspondent
State Info Commissioner (Pune) Vijay Kuvalekar discusses a range of issues related to RTI Act. Excerpts...
Do you agree that assaults on activists prove that the RTI Act is being used correctly?
There is no need of attacks on activists to show that the act is being used correctly. For instance, Adarsh scam was unearthed but there was no assault on the person who unearthed it.
What is your opinion of Arun Mane as an activist?
I will not comment on this question. But I would like to say that each activist who faces assault is not Satish Shetty. Each assault case should be dealt with independently.
Is pendency of cases actually helping bureaucrats hide information?
It is necessary to know who files these applications. For example, 2,500 applications are pending before me. Out of these applications, 25-30 people have filed around 700 applications. In December I received 370 applications, out of which about 120 are filed by some eight individuals. We are taking measures to reduce pendency. Each application that comes before us is sorted within four months in addition to dealing with the backlog.
Are former bureaucrats responsible for growing pendency?
I don't think so. Nature of applications coming to us should also be considered. For instance, a person has asked for a particular information since 1930 in classified format. Is it possible to give such information within just 30 days?
Another applicant has asked that the information regarding a tribe which was formed at the time of Prithvi Pradakshina by Lord Shankar and Parvati. Is it in the purview of Information Commissioner to give this
information? All these limitations should be considered.
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Your opinion about RTI being used as blackmailing tool ufffd
Any act should be used in the rightful manner. Acts aim for transparency and transparency should be seen on both the sides. How many activists will share information about their organisations just like Anna Hazare did? Hazare is transparent about his trust's proceedings.
