2008-09-19 12:51:06 - RTI APPLICANT DENIED INFORMATION AS PER THE RTI ACT 2005 BY THE REGISTRAR OF COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES (RCS), DELHI UNDER THE PLEA THAT THE APPLICANT IS A TENANT

RTI APPLICANT DENIED INFORMATION UNDER THE PLEA THE APPLICANT IS A TENANT



PRESS RELEASE



New Delhi September 19, 2008 The office of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS) under the Delhi government has refused to provide information to an Right To Information (RTI) applicant taking a plea that the information seeker is a Tenant .

RTI Applicant Varinder Arora had filed an

application under the RTI Act 2005 seeking particular information from the RCS office on August 12, 2008.

'A reply received from the RCS office signed by the Public Information Officer (PIO) Assistant Registrar (EAST) said that the particular information cannot be provided as the applicant is a tenant '. Said shocked Mr Varinde Arora, the applicant

' The RTI Act 2005 does not permit discrimination against an information seeker on the basis o profession o status . A Public Information Officer (PIO) appointed the RCS is not supposed to know the status of the person seeking information or discriminate against on the basis that the applicant is a tenant or a house owner' said M Vikas Kunango, editor ,e-govworld .

'In this case the applicant had sought simple information which is readily available with the RCS office and is mandatory to keep such information for the office. As per the RTI Act 2005 , the government offices are supposed to keep the public information on internet (websites) so that there are less number of RTI applications' he added.

' The information sought by me from the RCS office was who are the current elected members in the Managing committee of the All India Govt Employees Co-operative Hosue Building Society (KiranVihar ) an information which is supposed to readily available with the RCS office and mandatory for any co-operative Housing society to file such information with RCS every year.' Said Mr Arora

' I have sought intervention of the Central Information Commissioner (CIC) Mr Wajahat Habibullah as RTI Act prohibits such discrimination . THE RCS office does not know even that I am owner of the Plotted House for last 24 years, ' he added



Varinder K.Arora
54, Kiran vihar
Delhi 110092
Ph 22373716/9811153833

Contact numbers Vikas Kunango 9312722591, CIC Wajahat Habibullah 9818519370 RTI Experts Arvind Kejriwal 9868069953 and Manish 9868875898 (both of Parivartan)