The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) once again received a setback with the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) directing the former to make the photocopies of answer scripts available to an applicant.

The KIC in its order in the first week of June directed the KPSC to give the information sought by one E Ramamurthy of Challakere Taluk of Chitradurga.

E Ramamurthy had appeared in the Gazetted Probationers Examinations, 1998 and he had sought copies of English, General Knowledge, Sociology and Kannada Literature from the KPSC under the Right to Information Act. His application to get copies under RTI was rejected forcing him to approach the KIC for appeal.

Quashed

The KIC had ordered the KPSC on November 11, 2006 to issue the demanded information to the applicant but the KPSC moved to the High Court. The High Court quashed the order of the KIC in appeal saying that it has not followed the procedure laid down in the Karnataka Right to Information Rules, 2005.

The High Court directed the KIC to dispose off the matter after providing opportunities to both the parties.
As per the directives of the HC, both the parties appeared for hearing from March 12, 2007.

On June 7 the KIC directed the KPSC to give appellant the information sought. State Information Commission K A Thippeswamy maintained, “The Commission allows the appeal and holds that the Appellant (E Ramamurthy) is entitled to the information sought by him.

Accordingly, the commission directs the Secretary, KPSC, who has the custody of documents, to make the required information available to the Appellant, free of cost, within a period of one month from the date of this order, by sending the same to him through RPAD, under intimation to the commission.