Date: 14.06.

2015

PMK Founder Dr. S. Ramadoss Statement

HEADLESS STATE INFORMATION COMMISSION

AND THE RAMPANT CORRUPTION
The Tamil Nadu State Information Commission(TNSIC) is the model to show how not to run an
organization. The Commission is working exactly opposite to the purpose for which it was constituted.
The Tamil Nadu State Information Commission was constituted in accordance with the Right to
Information Act of the Parliament in the year 2005. But the Chief Commissioner to head the institution
and two other associates were appointed only on the 28.01.2006 and the TNSIC started functioning
thereafter. The numbers of members were raised to 7 in the year 2008. The Commission which initially
functioned reasonably started developing snags after Sripathi, retired Chief Secretary of the Tamil
Nadu Government took charge as Chief Commissioner. Since only ruling party functionaries and officers
loyal to the ruling party were appointed during the ADMK regime, the Commission which was to
function as a watchdog of the government became a pet of the government helping the government
to hide facts from the people.
TNSIC should have one Chief Commissioner and 10 members. As of now there are only 4 members.
Instead of functioning as an appeal court to ensure delivery of information refused at lower offices,
the Commission threatens and chases away people coming to file appeal petitions. We can cite a
number of examples for this. A person who sought information was not only refused the information
but was threatened and when he refused to yield, false cases were foisted and he was sent to jail.
These kinds of tyranny cannot happen anywhere else except in Tamil Nadu.
The RTI act was enacted to empower citizens to obtain information on government schemes, fund
allocations for various programs and other information about the functioning of the government.
People can examine the information for any violation of rules in the execution of programs, and
whether the rights of citizens are safeguarded and demand justice if any violation of rules or citizenship
rights. This will ensure transparent and corruption free governance. But the Tamil Nadu Government
is determined to undermine the very purpose of the Act by rejecting RTI applications for flimsy reasons
and hiding information from public by providing irrelevant details. Per example if information is
sought on Thermal power the Government will give information about Hydro power.

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RTI activists appealing against this to the State Information commission are not given assistance
either. Instead they are repulsed. Lakhs of appeal petitions are kept in abeyance without attention.
The Act envisages a fine of up to Rs. 25,000 for officials refusing to give information in time. The
Commissioners of TNSIC instead of punishing the officials refusing to comply with the Act, call both
parties and function like a kangaroo court and settle the issues by getting money. It is also said that
the Commissioners, instead of punishing the officials found guilty of not complying with RTI act,
extract money from them to save them from punishment.
The post of the Chief Commissioner and 6 Commissioners are lying vacant at present. To fill these
vacancies the government has to consult the leader of the opposition. To avoid this the Tamil Nadu
government is not taking any efforts to fill the vacancies. The State Information Commission is acting
to protect corruption instead of acting against corruption, negating the whole purpose of the Right to
Information Act itself. The Tamil Nadu government should take full responsibility for this.
To change the existing scenario and to ensure proper functioning of the Commission, new
Commissioners should be appointed according to rules in a transparent way. Government should
initiate legal action against officers refusing to give information as per RTI Act.

Yours,

(Dr. S.Ramadoss)