This has raised questions about the establishment of the Punjab Information Commission (PIC), and the three information commissioners tasked with implementing the Act.

The Punjab Assembly passed the RTI Bill 2013 on December 13, 2013. The bill became an act after the governor approved it on December 16.

The information commissioners appointed on March 5, have reportedly been running from pillar to post to arrange offices for themselves so they can implement the Act.

The government appointed Additional Inspector General Ahmed Raza Tahir and Mukhtar Ahmad Ali as information commissioners, and Justice (r) Mazhar Hussain Minhas the chief information commissioner.

The appointments were made in line with clause five of the RTI Act 2013. The clause states that the PIC should have an office to start its operations, implement the act and frame rules under the Act.

Several government officials have revealed that the three commissioners are in quandary as they have no funds at their disposal to set up offices and implement the Act.

The notification of their appointment had been issued only to fulfil official procedures, said the officials. They said the commissioners had been asked to stay at home and keep drawing salaries until a further directive.

Officials requesting anonymity said that the information secretary had informed the three commissioners that a summary regarding the budget for the commission was pending with the Finance Department.

A senior government officer said that instead of empowering the PIC, the provincial government was relying on the Information Department.

“Allocating and approving budget is only a matter of two days. Six months have passed since the Act was introduced but the government has not allocated a single penny for the PIC. This shows that the commission is not the government’s priority,” the officer told The Express Tribune.

He said the chief minister was assisted by his Press Secretary Shoaib Bin Aziz, Information Secretary Momin Agha and Director General Public Relations Athar Ali Khan.

He said the government was delaying funds for the PIC on purpose.

The government has also violated clause 7 of the RTI Act 2013 which states a public body “shall within 60 days of the commencement of this Act designate and notify as many officers as public information officers in all administrative units or offices under it, as may be necessary”.

Currently, the government has notified only 50 public information officers for Lahore. Other districts in the province await appointment of information officers.

Momin Agha declined comment. He said he was busy at a meeting.

PML-N Parliamentary Secretary on Information Rana Arshad said that the party had always favoured transparency and merit. He said he would place the matter before the chief minister.

Mukhtar Ahmad Ali said 50 public information officers had been trained by the Management and Professional Development Department. They would serve in Lahore, he said.

He said officers from other districts would also be trained after the month of Ramazan. He admitted he had no staff to implement the Act.

Express Tribune

He was chairing the first ‘RTI Baithak’ organized by Beacon house University on ‘Role of Civil Society in making Government system transparent’. He said that it is a general practice that budgets are formulated without consultation with the stakeholders and when budget is announced, people start hue and cry and then issues are re-examined and discussed. However, for the first time the Government has been consulting all stakeholders in budget formulation. He hoped that this time budget will be comparatively better and reflective of the aspirations of the people as well as the business community.

He said that today’s ‘RTI Baithak’ is also a positive step in bringing transparency in Government Departments as tax payers have the right to know where their money is being spent. He demanded that entire Government system should be computerized and replaced with e-governance system as it was impossible for any Government to have direct access to the each and every person. He said that Punjab Board of Information Technology is already working on this pattern and record of some of the Government Departments has also been computerized that is available on their website.

Zafar Dogar a senior journalist expressed its apprehension about the exemptions provided in the Act and said that in general practice these exemptions are being allowed to nullify the benefits of such important law.

Zaeem Yaqoob Khan , Director, Beacon house National University said that Beacon house University has already conduced three Baithak in Lahore for the sensitization of civil society in addition to bringing positive improvement in this Act Now three sittings are being held in Faisalabad followed by two in Multan and another three to be conducted in Lahore. We are preparing Logo and Video documentaries on the benefits of this Act and all these will be provided to the Information Commission to facilitate to start working in effective and efficient manner.

Business Recorder

The Right to Information bill carried two amendments that differentiate it from the original act. Clause Five of the bill maintained: “Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, any information mentioned in subsection (1) may be disclosed by the Public information officer if the information is 50 years old but commission, in an appropriate case, extend this time period of 50 years to a further 20 years.”

Second, “where a public information officer or any other person has, without any reasonable cause, refused to receive an application, has not furnished information within time limits, or denied the request with mala fide or knowingly gave incorrect, incomplete or misleading information, the commission may, after providing sufficient opportunity of defense to the public information officer, direct the public information officer to pay fine not exceeding two days salary for each day of delay or to pay fine which may extend to fifty thousands (50,000) rupees.”

The assembly also passed Lahore Development Authority (amendment) Bill 2013, aimed at establishing a comprehensive system of metropolitan planning and development in order to improve the quality of life in the area of Lahore division and establish an integrated metropolitan and regional development authority.

The bill would also help evolve policies and plans relating to improving housing, industrial development, traffic, transportation, education, health, water supply, sewerage, drainage, solid waste disposal and other allied matters.

The Punjab Commission on Status of Women Bill 2013 was also on the agenda, which as per the bill, was aimed at empowering women, expansion of opportunities for their socio-economic growth and elimination of all forms of discrimination against them.

Other bills that were passed included the Punjab Weight and Measure (international system) Enforcement (amendment) Bill, the Punjab Workmen’s Compensation (amendment) Bill and the Employees’ Cost of Living (Relief) (amendment) Bill.

The four bills that were deferred till Friday sitting, which was called at 9am, included The Punjab Commission on Status of Women Bill, the Punjab Shops and Establishments (amendment) Bill, the Punjab Minimum Wages for Unskilled Workers (amendment) Bill and the Punjab Payment of Wages (amendment) Bill.

Earlier, the Opposition tried to force the House to take motion pertaining to stoppage of gas to the industry and the CNG sector out of turn, but in vain. Some speakers from the opposition, including Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, pleaded the chair to suspend the routine business and discuss the impact of the stoppage, which according to them runs into billions of rupees and will result in unemployment of hundreds of thousands of people. However, the speaker, citing rules of business, asked the Opposition to go to the Business Advisory Committee of the House to get the motion included in the discussion.

DAWN