[IAC#RG] URGENT: Intimation to take action against Shri Basant Seth's order

To:
Shri Satyananada Misra ji
Hon'ble Chief Information Commissioner of India,
Central Information Commission at New Delhi,
August Kranti Bhawan,
New Delhi

BY Email

02-Feb-2013

Respected Sir

The RTI activists and all forces opposed to corruption in India are still greatly agitated that no action has been taken by your good self on our separate emails to you concerning the non-feasance by Shri Basant Seth in his order dated 15.0.2013 in case no.
CIC/SM/A/2012/900133/BS/1683 dated 15.Jan.2013 titled as "Shri Ishan Chunder versus CPIO/EPFO"

We are all collectively concerned and resolved that we have given sufficient time to the Hon'ble Commission to sort out any  inadvertent oversight by Mr. Basant Seth concerning this atrocious order.  However, the same has not been done and the decision still stands on the website of this Hon'ble Commission as an open invitation to be used/cited by every corrupt Department in India which shall simply instruct its First Appellate Authorities  (orally)  not to pass decisions in difficult matters without fear of penalty on them or the CPIO.

Sir, we are giving you clear notice of our intention that should the Central Information Commission not withdraw this now seemingly corrupt order, we shall all combine to make an example of Mr. Basant Seth so that no RTI First Appellate Authority in India dares to follow in his footsteps by such blatant non-feasance and dereliction of statutory duty.

I may mention in passing that Mr. Basant Seth has had a long innings in the public sector financial institutions  immediately prior to joining the Commission where the bulk of the EPFO's funds are invested.

With warm regards

yours faithfully

Sarbajit Roy
National Convenor
India Against Corruption, jan andolan
B-59 Defence Colony
New Delhi - 110024
Tel : 011-24334262

On Mon, Jan 21, 2013 at 10:25 AM, Sarbajit Roy <sroy.mb@gmail.com> wrote:

To:
Shri Satyananada Misra ji
Hon'ble Chief Information Commissioner of India
Central Information Commission at New Delhi
August Kranti Bhawan

21-Jan-2013

Respected Sir

URGENT / BY EMAIL

Sub: Order of Mr. Basant Seth in CIC/SM/A/2012/900133/BS/1683 dated 15.Jan.2013 titled as "Shri Ishan Chunder versus CPIO/EPFO"

I am constrained to inform you that the RTI activists all over the country are greatly agitated by the order/decision of Ld. Information Commissioner Mr.Basant Seth in the above cited matter, which is viewed as a blatant attempt to dilute the statutory powers of the Commission with a view to have the CIC closed down or out-sourced to the retired Judiciary.

The activists who were present at the recent CIC Convention clearly recall your opening speech, alluding to the Namit Sharma judgment, where you had mentioned that the Information Commissioners had always possessed the judicial mind, and we therefore view such orders/decisions as occasional aberrations, unless they are allowed to stand.

Accordingly, I would request you to kindly list/discuss this order (and its attendant issues) tomorrow afternoon at the weekly Tuesday meeting, or to refer this matter to a larger Bench and allow all interested persons to intervene.

We are also given to understand that Ld. Information Commissioner Ms. Sushma Singh is also passing similar orders, and there are apparently oral instructions issued to clear the CIC's humungous backlog pending till April 2012 by such despicable anti-citizen methods so as to befool the Parliament when the CIC's Annual Report is drawn up.

I may also mention that the new CIC Rules cannot be applied retrospectively.

With best wishes for the New Year 2013

yours faithfully

Sarbajit Roy
National Convenor - India Against Corruption
B-59 Defence Colony
New Delhi - 110024
Tel : 011-24334262