PANAJI: Days after citizens approached the high court of Bombay at Goa over TCP minister Vishwajit Rane’s notes/orders directing RTI applications to be sent to the government for prior approval, the state government informed the court that Rane has issued another note directing public information officers of the TCP department to dispose of RTI applications at their level, as per the provisions of the RTI Act, 2005.
The high court had issued notices to the chief town planner, public information officer, TCP, and first appellate authority over a petition filed by Claude Alvares and other citizens challenging the first order/note of the TCP minister dated May 18, 2023. On Tuesday, after the government informed the high court about the new note, the division bench disposed of the petition.
“With the above note, the grievance of the petitioners, in this petition, stands worked out. The impugned notes stand superseded and now instructions have been issued to the PIOs that they should dispose of the application received by them under the RTI Act at their level by adhering to the provision under the RTI Act,” the division bench stated.
The new note, dated October 30, states, “In supersession of the instructions issued vide notes referred above, the instructions are now issued that the public information officers of the town & country planning department shall dispose of applications received under the RTI Act, 2005, at their level, as per the provisions of the RTI Act, by examining the said applications and furnishing the replies/information accordingly”.
Before this note, information could only be supplied to RTI applicants after prior government approval. The petitioners had stated that the (now superseded) note severely restricts access to information under the RTI Act, 2005, within the TCP department, and added that as a result of the note/order, information is being provided after a delay of up to four months or more.
Additional government advocate Siddharth Samant stated that the information sought can be collected from the PIO.
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