The Tamil Nadu Information Commission has directed the Greater Chennai Police to launch an exclusive website expeditiously and publish details of its officials, police stations, jurisdiction, map and so on.
Passing orders on a petition seeking information on traffic flow on the Chamiers Road in Nandanam, State Information Commissioner S. Muthuraj said there was only one website for the Tamil Nadu police which was also not in compliance with the provisions under Section 4 of the Right to Information Act.
While other authorities like the Greater Chennai Corporation had an exclusive website, apart from the State government’s website, the Greater Chennai Police and its Traffic Wing did not have separate website to provide information to the people.
Mr. Muthuraj referred to Maharashtra and West Bengal where the Mumbai police and Kolkata police had their own websites to provide information on each and every police station, contact details of police officials in-charge of the police station and so on.
Easily accessible info
Invoking provisions under Section 3 and 4 of the RTI Act that explain the right to information of citizens and the obligation on the part of the public authorities toprovidesuch information, the State Information Commissioner said “every information shall be disseminated widely and in such form and manner which is easily accessible to the public.”
Quoting further from the Act, he said “all material shall be disseminated taking into consideration the cost-effectiveness, local language and the most effective method of communication in that local area and the information should be easily accessible, to the extent possible in electronic format, with the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, available free or at such cost of the medium or the print cost price as may be prescribed.”
Mr. Muthuraj directed the Public Information Officer of the Greater Chennai Police to create a website without any delay in compliance with the provisions of the Act and publish information regarding police stations with jurisdiction, map, contact particulars of the police officials in-charge, apart from the online services offered to the people.
Addressing the issue raised by R. Natrajan, a research scholar, the Commission directed the PIO to disclose details relating to the ‘Free Left’ in Bus Route no. 471 within the Corporation limits. “The Public Authority shall also state the steps taken to ease the traffic and free flow of traffic in those routes. Mission Statement of Tamil Nadu Police promises to facilitate safe and smooth road use by the citizen and in consonance with RTI Act, every citizen has the right to know this information,” Mr. Muthuraj said.
