The Madhya Pradesh State Information Commission in a fresh and important decision (serial no.A-0447/7September 2007) on the appeal of Right to Information applicant Rolly Shivhare against the PIO and First Appellate authority of Department of Women and Child Development, in order to make the right to information more effective has made it clear that any application received by a department can not be rejected or dismissed even if it is not pertaining to that public information officer (PIO) or office of the department but will be forwarded to the concerned PIOs of the department for information.
It will be the responsibility of the public information officer to forward the application to the concerned department within a period of five days and inform the applicant. At the same time The Chief Information Commissioner Padmapani Tiwari has given a show cause notice to the Public Information Officer in the State Directorate of Women and Child Development Department as to why they should not be penalized under the provisions of Right to Information Act 2005.
[sent by Rolly Shivhare of MP Right to Food Movement]