Chennai: The Tamil Nadu information commissioner has reiterated that it is the right of the citizens to know the status of their petitions submitted to the chief minister’s cell, district collectorate at the weekly grievance meetings as well as the Jamabandhi under the RTI Act.The commission has also said that Section 2(h) of RTI Act has clearly defined what public authority is and added that all govt offices coming under the purview of public authority are bound to provide what has been clearly described as information under Section 2(f) of the Act.The observation was made by information commissioner VPR Ilamparithi while disposing of a complaint petition filed by R Gopinath, who said he was not satisfied with the reply provided by the public information officer of Tiruvannamalai district collectorate.The original petition pertained to the action taken report and the current status of his pleas submitted before the district collector in the weekly grievance meeting in 2024. However, he received replies from PIO stating the status of petitions submitted before the CM’s cell, district collectors and jamabandhi cannot be sought under RTI. The PIO also cited information commission’s earlier orders in 2015 to deny information in the reply.Against the reply, the petitioner filed a complaint before the commission and the same was taken up for hearing. In its order passed on Thursday, commissioner Ilamparithi condemned the PIO’s act of denying information and said that the information commission’s 2015 order was a non-speaking order and was specific to the petition.The commission has also directed the chief educational officer of Tiruvannamalai district to conduct an awareness programme on RTI Act to all public information officer in the district and has sought explanation from the public information officer V Jayapaul why he should not be slapped with a fine of ₹25,000 and submit the same in person on Oct 14. The school education director has been directed to circulate the order to all chief educational officers of all districts.
