Kerala State Information Commissioner (SIC) A. Abdul Hakeem said in Kochi on Friday that denial of information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act would invite legal action.
Those representing the public have to provide answers to queries posed by them. The applicant has the right to receive clear information and not just a mere reply to questions, he said in his inaugural address at a programme held at Chavara Cultural Centre in connection with the completion of 18 years of the implementation of the RTI Act.
Mr. Hakeem said officials should not adopt a stance that a reply to an RTI application could wait up to 30 days. It could be given within five days or even on the day of receiving the application. The information provided should not be incomplete, he added.
The SIC said the RTI Act was implemented to ensure transparency in the administrative system. The objective of the Act was to end corruption and step up the responsibility of officials towards the public. However, some officials were trying not to provide information to the public, he said.
Mr. Hakeem said an RTI reply should include the name, designation, and official address of the official providing it to the applicant. Providing replies such as “information not available” and “not applicable” will result in legal action against the officials concerned.
The SIC said some institutions in the country had been trying to get out of the purview of the RTI Act. Such moves would be detrimental to democratic values and the right of the citizen to seek information, he said. Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission president D.B. Binu presided.
