HC stays CIC order against NGT Registrar General

The Delhi High Court today stayed a Central Information Commission (CIC) order in which it had passed adverse remarks against Registrar General of National Green Tribunal and recommended replacing him from the post of First Appellate Authority (FAA) for RTI matters there.
Justice Rajiv Shakdher while staying the January 14 order of CIC also issued notice to the Right to Information (RTI) applicant, on whose plea the commission had passed the order, and sought his response by the next date of hearing on May 6.
CIC was removed as a respondent from the matter after Additional Solicitor General N K Kaul said the commission need not be made a party in the issue.

The court's order came on the plea of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) which has sought quashing of the January 14 order.
CIC, in its January 14 order, had made come down heavily on the tribunal's Registrar General, saying that he had issued "illegal" orders "without application of mind" on RTI pleas, and that such actions will obstruct furnishing of information and scare away applicants.
While recommending that he be replaced as FAA, CIC had said that he be removed as the tribunal's Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) since he was also an accounts officer and was overburdened with work, apart from RTI matters.

It had also asked Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to look into the administrative problems and affairs of NGT.
The order and remarks were passed on the plea of RTI applicant Subhash Chandra Aggarwal who had sought the details of vehicles purchased and sold by the tribunal, rules and procedures on sanctioning of leave, LTC of the Chairman and members, besides statistics about RTI applications and first appeals.