Maharashtra’s chief information commissioner Suresh Joshi has allegedly not submitted any report in the commission and in the General Administration Department (GAD) pertaining to the foreign trips he embarked in the last four years.
The GAD is the nodal agency for the implementation of the RTI act in Maharashtra.
The trips to England, New Zealand, Mexico and Norway cost more than Rs 11 lakh.
Joshi went to these countries to attend events related to information/ transparency acts.
Pune resident Vihar Durve had filed an RTI application with the state information commission, Maharashtra. Among other things, Durve sought the agenda and minutes of the meetings which Joshi had with his foreign counterparts during these tours.
“He embarked these tours on public money. We have the right to know what did he gain in these trips and when he came back, what was the contribution to the implementation of the RTI act,” said Durve.
The Public information officer replied the commission did not have these details on any of these tours.
Then, Durve and other RTI activists wrote to the Maharashtra Governor on the same. Governor had forwarded the complaint to the GAD.
However, Joshi is yet to file a detailed report of these trips with the GAD.