GMCH, Nagpur Dean Dr Niswade issued notice for RTI Violation

Nagpur: Dr Abhimanyu Niswade, Dean, Government Medical College and Hospital(GMCH), has gotten himself into a spot for not having given a former employee of the college, Dr Arun Humne, a hearing, on an RTI appeal, filed by him. Dr Niswade has been issued a show cause notice by the State Information Commissioner, Dilip Dharurkar, who found him in violation of the Right to Information Act. Dharurkar in the issued notice has questioned Dr Niswade as to why disciplinary action should not be recommended against him.

The SIC’s notice comes in response to a plea filed by Dr. Humne from GMCH Akola, a former employee of GMCH, Nagpur.

SIC, Dharurkar issued a notice on August 4, asking Dr Niswade to furnish a reply within 15 days.

Mr. Dharurkar said, "Dean, who is first appellate authority under the RTI Act, did not even hold a hearing on the appeal filed by Humne. It has also come to fore that required information has been not given to Humne intentionally. It is a violation of Section 19 (6) of RTI Act."

Dr Humne is believed to have been struggling to retrieve information under the RTI Act, from GMCH Nagpur for the last 15 months.

An application was filed by him with the GMCH’s Public Information and Administrative officer, Arun Dhurve, on May 4, 2016. In the application, he sought information on the Directives given to the GMCH between December 17, 2015, and March 28, 2016, by the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).
On not receiving a reply to the information asked for, within a period of 30 days, Dr Humne filed an appeal with Dr Niswade on June 20, 2016.

Subsequently, Dr. Humne did receive a response of sorts from Arun Dhurve on July 14, 2016. However, it should have been mandatory on the part of Dr Niswade to have held a hearing, in response to the appeal filed; Dr Niswade, it was observed chose to overlook. Humne approached the state information commission (SIC) on October 1, 2016. Mr. Dharurkar held a hearing on April 10, 2017. At the hearing where both Dr. Niswade and Arun Dhurve were present, Humne revealed that he had not been given any information that he had asked for by the GMCH.

Humne approached the state information commission (SIC) on October 1, 2016. Mr. Dharurkar held a hearing on April 10, 2017. At the hearing where both Dr. Niswade and Arun Dhurve were present, Humne revealed that he had not been given any information asked for, by the GMCH.

SIC's Dharurkar at this meeting ordered Arun Dhurve to ensure that Dr Humne was provided, the asked for information, within 3 days of the order.

Sources in the SIC said that action against Dean, Niswade would be decided upon by Mr. Dharurkar after the information requested for, was furnished reports TOI.