Babus in the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest can no longer deny information to applicants under the RTI Act on the pretext that the information has to be collected from different sources.The CIC has recently rescinded a circular by the ministry under which ministry officials denied information to people under RTI.The circular issued during the tenure of former MoEF secretary Prodipto Ghosh refused information to applicants from MoEF if it meant collation of facts — getting information from different sources — for providing information. The MoEF said in such cases it can’t give “processed information” as per the ministry circular.In September 2006, petitioner Biswajit Mohanty of Orissa was told the same thing when he wanted to know the names of officers of the state / Centre or any public authority who were alleged to have violated the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 in the state of Orissa. The MoEF rejected his application saying those can’t be provided as the information was not ready. Mohanty, who filed an appeal with the CIC, said “MoEF can’t deny information in his case since there is a clear overriding and visible public interest involved in the information sought for.”Mohanty said that the chief conservator of forest (central) Khazan Singh did not reject his appeal. The CIC in its July 11 order concurred that there was “visible public interest involved in the information sought” and it should be provided within 20 days.
