RTI reveals that the file on official’s transfer is ‘missing’
27 Dec, 2012An application was filed with the Department of Urban Development under Right to Information (RTI) Act seeking the details of the transfer of an assistant executive engineer to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) from Mysore Mahanagara Palike. The applicant claims that there is no provision in the Karnataka Municipal Act 1976 to transfer an official from one corporation to another.
The urban development department replied that it had sent the file to the Chief Minister’s Office two years ago and the information would be furnished as soon as the CM’s office returns the file to the department. The matter was then brought up before with the Karnataka State Information Commission. When asked by the information commission, the public information officer at the CM’s office denied receiving any such file in its office. However, CM’s principal secretary accepted before the commission that the CM’s office had requested for two files from the urban development department and said that both the files have been returned.
Now the Karnataka State Information Commission has ordered two separate inquiries by the CMO and the urban development department to trace the file and find those responsible for the lapse.