Bengaluru's ELCITA declares itself public authority, will respond to RTI queries

Bengaluru: Declaring itself a "public authority", the Electronics City Industrial Township Authority (ELCITA) has appointed a public information officer, assistant PIO and first appellate authority, complying with orders from the Karnataka State Information Commission, issued in January.

The authority also informed the commission of its compliance.

The move allows citizens to seek information from ELCITA under the Right to Information Act, 2005. An office has been set up to receive, process and handle applications from the public.

In January, the commission ruled that ELCITA is both a state and a public authority under Section 2 (H) of the RTI Act, 2005.

The orders were issued by State Information Commissioners Rajashekara S and Rudranna Harthikote on two occasions while hearing pleas of RTI applicants whose requests for information from ELCITA were rejected.

On both occasions, the commission directed ELCITA to provide information and instructed officials of different departments not to issue letters claiming exemption from the RTI Act, stating it amounts to violation of the essence of the Act.