Chennai: The state information commission has asked applicants not to file pleas in another person’s name without the latter’s consent, under the pretext of maintaining anonymity.“Those expecting the public information officers to remain transparent and furnish the required and correct information under the RTI Act should know the same is expected of them. They too should not misuse the Act,” said information commissioner V P R Ilamparithi.The commissioner made the observations while disposing of an appeal filed in the name of a 13-year-old girl without her knowledge. The original petition sent last year to the Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments Department sought land details of Sri Pillaiyar temple under the control of HR&CE dept at Chandrapuram in Jolarpet.
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The first and second appeals were also promptly filed citing lack of information.The information commission sent the summons to the petitioner-girl by post and the commission was surprised when a 13-year-old schoolgirl accompanied by her grandmother appeared for the hearing. To the commission’s shock and surpirse, the girl deposed that she never filed the petition and that the Tamil signature in the petition was not hers.The girl’s mother on the phone informed the commission she sent her daughter to the hearing since she wanted to become a lawyer and experience the hearing at the information commission, even though she did not file the petition.Recording the submission, commissioner Ilamparithi closed the petition since the PIO also informed the commission the details sought under the RTI plea was already sent by post.
