Information commissioner flays MSEZ, KIADB
State Information Commissioner Dr H N Krishna flayed the MSEZ and Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) authorities for communicating wrong information to the public and he went on to call MSEZ as a fake entity.
In the grievance hearing meet of the RTI applicants who have failed to get required response from the Public Information Officers held at the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Thursday, the Commissioner was deeply annoyed with the way MSEZ claimed itself as not being a ‘public authority’ under the provisions of RTI to respond to the complainants. The MSEZ’s response to complainant Mohini who had enquired about the special package offered to one Shakunthala from Permude village, who had lost her land during land acquisition, left the Commissioner in surprise.
One of the objections raised by the MSEZ read as follows: “The respondent is a company incorporated under the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956. The respondent is not established or constituted by or under the Constitution. The respondent is not established or constituted either by any law made by the Parliament or the State Legislature or by any notification issued or order made by the Government.
The respondent is not a body owned or controlled or substantially financed by the Government. The respondent is not under the control of the Government either functionally or administratively, As such, respondent is not a ‘Public Authority’ under the provisions of the RTI Act and the RTI Act is not applicable to the respondent.”
Denotify the land
In response to the objection, Dr Krishna said if the MSEZ is not constituted under the Constitution, then why KIADB allotted land to the company. “If MSEZ is not entitled under the Constitution, then the KIADB should denotify the land allotted to them.
It is an utter nuisance on the part of MSEZ to claim that they do not owe anything to the government.
It is the government which provides MSEZ, the tax rebate and basic infrastructure in the construction site. Therefore, MSEZ owes a lot to the government and the public,” he said.He directed the MSEZ to abide by the law of the land and provide compensation package to those who have lost their land, otherwise privileges granted by the government to MSEZ should be withdrawn without a thought, the Commissioner insisted.
He asked KIADB officer Krishnamoorthy to give written submission of all the claims within next 15 days and explain the process of land acquisition, compensation given etc.
Taking up the case of one Chandrashekhara M who was the employee of Seetha Raghava PU Aided College in Peranje, Puttur, from 2003-2009, the Information Commissioner came down heavily on the College Principal for not responding appropriately for the RTI query submitted by the complainant. The complainant had asked for seven documents from the College after his resignation, including his appointment letter and RTC of College building. However, the College Principal declined to provide any information, saying the College management did not have the necessary documents with them.
In response, the Commissioner issued a show cause notice to the College Principal. He issued a show cause notice to the KSRTC and penalised for not responding to the RTI filed a year back.
The Commissioner took up 21 cases on the day, out of which 14 cases were disposed and seven cases were adjourned. The cases were related to the Department of Food and Civil Supplies, MCC, Police, SDM Naturopathy Centre in Ujire etc.
