TNPSC fails to provide info on recruitment

CHENNAI: Even after two High Court orders and a direction from the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission, the state Public Service Commission (TNPSC) is till denying information relating to the recruitment to post of assistant director of Town and Country Planning.R Shivakumar, who filed the right to information (RTI) petition in 2008 seeking information to find out whether the 41 candidates found eligible by TNPSC satisfied the requisite norms, has been made to run from pillar to post and denied information despite two High Court orders and a State Information Commission directive. “I filed the petition after I smelt something fishy as TNPSC has been denying the information continuously,” Shivakumar told Express while providing the two court orders and a Tamil Nadu Information Commission directive.Interestingly, the state information commission in 2009 had directed the Public Information Officer to supply the information within two days of the receipt of the orders and report compliance to the Commission besides levying a fine of Rs 25,000. But TNPSC failed to provide the details and moved the High Court. Justice V Ramasubramanian in 2010 dismissed the petition of TNPSC and set a four-week deadline to furnish the information as per the directive of Tamil Nadu Information Commission.The judge had observed that even a person who participated in the selection but who did not get selected was entitled to know if only persons who got selected fulfilled all the essential qualifications. “Though the respondent may not be a candidate who took participated in the selection, it does not mean he is not entitled to the information,” the judge had observed. Similarly, a two-judge bench of Madras HC on July 22, 2011 again dismissed the petition of TNPSC when it went on appeal against single judge order.“Why is the TNPSC trying to hide the facts and not providing the information despite two high court orders and a State Information Commission directive?” asked Shivakumar, adding that there was something fishy in the recruitment to the post.“Now, denial by TNPSC is contempt of court and it is now up to the court to take action against the erring officials,” he said.