Nagpur: The State Information Commissioner (SIC), Nagpur bench, has expressed annoyance over failure of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to provide information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act to an activist. SIC has also directed the municipal commissioner to conduct an enquiry against deputy commissioner Sanjay Kakde for not attending the hearings.On February 26, 2015, activist Ankita Shah had sought information pertaining to NMC’s Bhandewadi animal shelter on eight counts. This included year-wise data on total number of dogs rescued, released after treatment, died at the shelter, the corporation’s total expenditure on treatment of animals and other information related to appointment of vet and maintenance of the shelter.Following this, NMC on March 13, 2015, asked Shah to deposit Rs4,800 for providing the information running into 2,400 pages.The applicant asked NMC to submit this information in a compact disc but the latter did not. Shah then filed a first appeal on April 1, 2015 after which she was given a hearing on April 15. The civic body’s deputy commissioner, who was also the first appellant officer directed his subordinate to provide the information within 15 days which did not happen.Shah filed an appeal with SIC on September 3, 2015, during the hearing of which Shah alleged that the civic body did not check proper documents before handing over its animal shelter land to an organization. However in spite of repeated summons, the deputy commissioner of NMC remained absent from the hearing. Acting on this, SIC in its order dated December 15, 2015, directed the municipal commissioner to reprimand his deputy.The commission also directed NMC to pay compensation of Rs1,000 to Shah and provide her the required information in seven days.When Shah still didn’t get information, she filed a second appeal on November 30, 2016, stating that though she received the compensation, NMC failed in providing the information. In June this year, SIC slammed NMC stating that even though the issue was related to animal welfare, the civic body did not take it seriously.The information commissioner has now directed the civic chief to conduct an enquiry against Kakde and take necessary action. Once again, the commissioner has directed NMC to provide the required information under RTI act TOI has been repeatedly reporting about the pitiful conditions of the shelter. Presently, the civic body is carrying out Animal Birth Control (ABC) operations in the premises.

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