Ministry gets notice over National Library extension

RTI applicant alleges he was given misleading information

The National Library reading room.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has served a show-cause notice to the Ministry of Culture (MoC) for not replying to a Right to Information (RTI) query filed last year on the proposed regional extension centre of the National Library in New Delhi.

“The Commission directs the respondent authority to provide point-wise information to the applicant, free of cost and also directs the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) to show-cause why maximum penalty should not be imposed for not replying properly before 21.9.2017,” the CIC said in its notice .

Calls to N.K. Sinha, the CPIO, went unanswered.

In his application, Biswanath Goswami, a socio-legal researcher and activist

, sought “complete information and each copy of relevant documents relating to present and final/ultimate/long term plan of action and policy and programme in future regarding the establishment of Regional Centre/Extension Centre of National Library at New Delhi”.

He also asked for details and copies of every meeting, proposal and decision of all concerned departments and ministries.

In its reply, dated September 21, 2016, the Ministry said: “It is informed that the proposal is under consideration in the Ministry of Culture.”

Not satisfied, Mr. Goswami appealed to the First Appellate Authority (an officer senior in rank to the CPIO) at the Ministry, which replied on January 11 that the proposed extension counter of the National Library was at “nascent stage of discussions”.

Substantiating claim

Mr. Goswami then appealed to the CIC, alleging that both the CPIO and the First Appellate Authority not only “suppressed material facts” but “purposefully supplied false, contradictory and misleading information”.

“I have got government documents which show that the MoC deliberately provided misleading information about the proposed extension centre of the National Library,” Mr. Goswami said.

According to the government document, a copy of which is with The Hindu, not only have the aims and objectives of the proposed extension of National Library been decided, but its reader capacity, staff requirement as well as estimated budget have been fixed. The document, titled Proposal for Establishment of National Library Extension Centre/Regional Centre at New Delhi, says that the regional centre should be established at New Delhi for “better coordination and liaison with publishers”.

The document also states that the estimated expenditure for the initial one year of the extension counter will be about ₹1.12 crore.