Reply not available unacceptable: CIC

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The reply ‘Not Available’ to queries under the Right to Information Act will not be accepted by the State Information Commission, State Chief Information Commissioner Siby Mathews said here on Monday. He told a joint press conference by State Information Commissioners here that the Commission’s stand was that the information had to be collected and given to the applicant by the public information officer concerned within the prescribed time limit. During 2011-2012, the Commission disposed of 2,075 petitions, including 828 complaints and 1,247 appeals. In 47 cases, the Commission also initiated action. As many as 15 officials were fined a total of Rs 1.48 lakh and disciplinary action launched against six officials. District-level sittings are also planned by the Commission, he said. The Commission has also found that majority of the RTI queries did not deal with matters of public interest, but rather with personal matters. The Commission has also requested the State Government to increase staff strength of the Commission, he said.