CIC orders probe into withholding of info on minorities fund

Sensing the serious concerns over the misappropriation in funds meant for minorities in the state, the chief information commissioner has instructed additional chief secretary (minorities) to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit the action report within a month.

He has also asked authorities to upload all the detailed accounts on the official website of Maulana Azad Minorities Fund Development Corporation (MAMFDC).

Ratnakar Gaikwad gave the above orders this month after a second hearing was conducted into the issue. Gaikwad has also issued a show cause notice against the information officer of MAMFDC for violating rules under the RTI Act, 2005. He has ordered action against the officer under section 19 (8) (G) and section (2) (1) of the Act for committing an unpardonable act by not parting with information as per the rules.

MAMFDC is a government body which allocates funds to the minorities in the state. The sanctioned fund from the Centre is a loan given to an individual after s/he complies with various formalities and proofs. However, it has been found that no records or accounts are maintained of such disbursements. No audits are carried out of these sanctioned loans by the MAMFDC.

The issue came to light after a civic activist sought the records and details of the MAMFDC last July. However, the authorities allegedly refused to give the activist any information under the RTI Act. Even the appellate authority denied information and records to the activist.

Aftab Siddique, a civic activist from Bandra, said, “As a citizen, it was my right to have the accounts and data of public money. I demanded the list of applicants (beneficiaries). I had also asked for attested copies of audit of the fund, which would have yearly figures of the disbursed amounts and recovery amount district-wise. The directors — present and former — deprived me of the information.”

Siddique also claimed that under the RTI Act she was seeking precise information from the MAMFDC office. She alleged that she was not only deprived of the information on time but the appellate authority was rude and also threatened her of dire consequences if she pursued the issue.

“I informed the chief information commissioner and showed him the video clip where the officials claimed that they don’t have any records. When the officials denied having any records, I demanded the details of loan account numbers and details of recovery audits,” said Siddique, expressing her satisfaction on the latest orders.