Information Commission orders SCOLE Kerala and Nirmithi Kendras to adhere to RTI Act
The Kerala State Information Commission has brought the State Council for Open and Lifelong Education (SCOLE) Kerala and the Nirmithi Kendras functioning across the State under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
In the first case, the applicant, Krishnan Kutty K. from Palakkad, had requested information from SCOLE Kerala, which operates under the General Education department. Denying information sought under the RTI Act, the institution claimed that it was not bound by the law.
Considering the applicant's appeal, State Information Commissioner Sreekumar M. stated that SCOLE Kerala qualifies as a public institution under Section 2(h)(c) of the RTI Act. The commission also pointed out that the administration of SCOLE Kerala is governed by an Executive Council, which includes the Minister of General Education, an Additional Secretary, the Director of General Education and Finance Officer, as well as nominees from the public sector. Therefore, it was concluded that SCOLE Kerala falls under the full ownership and control of the government, as per Section 2(h)(i) of the RTI Act.
Similarly, in another case, C. Pradeep Kumar from Adoor filed a petition regarding a denial of information from the Nirmithi Kendra in Thrissur. The Commission ruled that Nirmithi Kendras, which operate under government control, also fall under the RTI Act's jurisdiction. The governing body of these centres includes District Collectors, Sub-collectors, Project Officers, and other senior government officials, all of whom are responsible for overseeing the centres' administration.
The Commission has instructed the authorities concerned in both cases to immediately appoint RTI officers in these institutions, and to provide the requested information to the petitioners within 15 days.
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