Latest news with #PrakashIndalkar
Hindustan Times
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
RTI bench dismisses 7,651 appeals, warns against misusing the law
Intro: RTI Act should not be used as a tool of oppression or hold the government to ransom, says an order of the Information Commission RTI bench dismisses 7,651 appeals, warns against misusing the law MUMBAI: Calling them a burden on the government administration and a misuse of the law, the Sambhaji Nagar bench of the Information Commission has dismissed 7,651 appeals filed by 18 Right To Information (RTI) activists over the last 15 months. In a recent order, the commission also called the appeals filed by one applicant in particular a misuse of the RTI Act. In doing so, the order stated, the applicant was holding government offices to ransom, potentially bringing work in these offices to a standstill. In its order passed on July 14 and uploaded on the commission's portal this week, Prakash Indalkar, state information commissioner of the Sambhaji Nagar bench of the commission, dismissed 81 appeals filed by RTI activist Janak Gaikwad. Of the bulk appeals dismissed since April 2024, filed by 18 applicants, 3,660 appeals filed by Keshavraje Nimbalkar were dismissed in June and December 2024; and 1,144 second appeals filed by activist Sharad Dabhade were dismissed in April and September 2024. In a one-off order, Indalkar cited two verdicts by the Supreme Court and Chief Information Commission of India. He pointed to an August 2011 verdict of the apex court, which had stated, 'The act should not … be converted into a tool of oppression and intimidation, and not turn into a scenario where 75% of the government staff is engaged in 75% of their time in collecting RTI information instead of discharging their duty…' the order states. The July 14 order also cited a verdict delivered by then central information commissioner, Shailesh Gandhi, in 2012, where he had said that right to information is a fundamental right of citizens and it should not be used to fulfill the demands of one individual. Gandhi had also said that repeated applications and appeals was a waste of public resources. Indalkar also said that bulk appeals do not serve any public interest but vested individual interests. 'Because of the bulk applications by specific applicants, significant time of government officers and personnel is wasted. This has posed the danger of government staff spending most of their precious time collecting RTI information instead of serving the people,' the order stated. An official from the Information Commission said that a large number of appeals were filed against officers and teachers in aided and government schools, and government departments such as the forest and rural development departments. 'In some cases, the appeals were filed to blackmail government servants,' the official said.
Indian Express
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Rahul Pande takes oath as Maharashtra Chief Information Commissioner
In the oath-taking ceremony, the Governor also administered the oath of office to three State Information Commissioners – Ravindra Thakre, Prakash Indalkar and Gajanan Nimdev. Earlier, Secretary to the Governor Dr. Prashant Narnaware read out the notification of appointment of the State Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioners. The oath-taking ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, MLC Parinay Phuke, Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Brijesh Singh, senior journalists, and other dignitaries. Maharashtra was without a Chief Information Commissioner since April 2023 when former Sumit Mullick, who was holding the post, retired. Rahul Pande's appointment will be for a three-year term, during which he will be tasked to enforce the Right to Information Act (RTI) in Maharashtra. Fifty one-year-old Pande, who hails from Nagpur, has served as the Information Commissioner for the Nagpur division from October 2021 to 2024. He was also entrusted with additional charge of the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Amravati divisions. While Gajanan Nimdev currently serves as the editor of Nagpur Tarun Bharat, Ravindra Thakare, an IAS officer of 2010 batch, was previously posted as Additional Tribal Commissioner at ATC Nagpur. Prakash Indalkar is a retired Deputy Secretary from the state administrative services. Congratulating the new information commissioners, Fadnavis wrote on X, 'Wishing all the dignitaries the very best in their role to uphold the Right to Information and empower citizens through transparency… These appointments come at a time when the demand for administrative transparency and public access to information continues to be a cornerstone of good governance in the state.'
