PANJIM: The Goa State Information Commission (GSIC) has asked the Chief Secretary to seek explanation from the then Director of Women and Child Development (WCD) and First Appellate Authority (FAA) for causing harassment to the applicant by not deciding first appeal inspite of issuing notice after notice.
State Information Commissioner Sanjay N Dhavalikar in a recent judgement has held former director of Women and Child Development and FAA Deepali Naik, guilty of not deciding first appeal within the stipulated period, as provided under section 19(6) of the Right To Information (RTI) Act, and passed strictures on her ‘indecorous behaviour’ and ‘incautious conduct’.
“The Right to Information Act, 2005 mandates the FAA to hear and dispose first appeal within maximum of 45 days. Deepali Naik, FAA being the senior officer of the Government of Goa cannot be ignorant of the provisions of the RTI Act. Despite that, she kept on issuing notices to the applicant, even after expiry of stipulated period, without conducting a single hearing. Only irresponsible and insensitive officer can display such shameless misuse of authority, may be with an intention of harassing the applicant. Therefore, such a conduct needs to be punished,” held SIC Dhavalikar.
Priyanka Vaingankar, a resident of Santa Cruz had requested the Public Information Officer (PIO) of Department of Women and Child Development for information pertaining to working of Apna Ghar. Being aggrieved by refusal of the information, she filed first appeal before FAA Naik. The applicant was compelled to file second appeal before the State Information Commission since the FAA did not dispose first appeal.
“The FAA is living in her own paradise by wrongly believing that the appellate authority gets indefinite time to decide the appeal and unlimited authority to harass the appellant. This arrogant and incautious conduct needs to be punished for violation of provisions of law,” opined Dhavalikar, and stated that the Chief Secretary should seek explanation from Naik for not disposing first appeal as provided under the RTI Act.
