Preview of RTI Act in relation to
Environment Protection.
Answers
Explanation:
From website of Delhi Government it appears that Environment Department, Forest Conservation Department and Delhi Pollution Control Committee are dealing with its environment-related functions. Further:
Environment Dept is a department of Delhi Govt, listed on its website under "E" in alphabetical list of links to departmental websites. It functions under Secretary (Environment) Ms Naini Jayaseelan. RTI Act, 2005, section on Delhi Govt website provides for it links to documents corresponding to all 17 items under s.4(1)(b). Deputy Secretary Mr RTL D'Souza is designated Public Information Officer and Ms Naini Jayaseelan First Appellate Authority.
Forest Dept is a department of Delhi Govt, listed on its website under "C" in alphabetical list of links to departmental websites. It functions under Secretary (Environment, Forest & Wildlife) Ms Naini Jayaseelan. RTI Act, 2005, section on Delhi Govt website provides for it links to documents corresponding to 9 out of the 17 items under s.4(1)(b). No PIO is designated.
DPCC is listed as an autonomous body on Delhi Govt website under alphabetical list of links to websites of those. On website of Environmental Dept, however, About-us and Plan-Schemes pages say DPCC is under Environment Dept. But document corresponding to s.4(1)(b)(viii) states: "no such board, councils, committees are functioning under Environment Department". DPCC Chairperson is Secretary (Environment) Ms Naini Jayaseelan. RTI Act section on Delhi Govt website does not provide links for DPCC and DPCC website does not mention RTI Act or PIO.
The precise organisational relation of these three is not clear. However:
DPCC website is prominently linked from home-page of Environment Dept via links labelled "Also visit Delhi Pollution Control Committee", "Booklet: Towards Cleaner Air", "Environment Quality Standards" and 12 links under "Acts & Rules", which is the same list as on the Acts & Rules page of DPCC website. Website of Environment Dept is not linked from DPCC website.
Forest Dept website is also linked from home-page of website of Environment Dept through link labelled "Greening Delhi Action Plan 2005-2006". Website of Environment Dept is not linked from Forest Dept website.
It appears that Forest Dept, with strength of 112 (as per directory corresponding to s.4(1)(b)xi), implements forest and wildlife protection law and DPCC, with strength of 87 (as per organisational-strength page on its website, which indicates 167 sanctioned posts), implements pollution control law. Environment Dept, with strength of 14 (as per directory under s.4(1)(b)xi), implements 7 "Plan-Schemes", for which it has a budget outlay of 470 lakhs for 2005-2006 (as per document for s.4(1)(b)xi). Of this:
The minimum of 10 lakhs is for "Grant-in-Aid to DPCC" and maximum of 150 lakhs for setting up a cell for "Pollution Disaster and Hazardous Waste Management". Rationale for this apparent duplication of DPCC functions is unclear, with web-page for this Plan-Scheme referring only to studies, completed around 2003, by National Productivity council and CRISIL.
120 lakhs and 100 lakhs are for "Public Environmental Awareness and Other Activities" and "Setting up Eco clubs in Schools and Colleges", Plan-Schemes that apparently duplicate awareness activities of Forest Dept and DPCC.
30 lakhs each are for the other 3 Plan-Schemes, whose role is not clear. Website pages for "Environmental Data Generation, Survey, Research Project and Other Activities" and "Assistance to NGOs in the Promotion, Conservation and Preservation of Environment" enumerate a total of 26 studies / projects, but reports / outcomes are not listed even as a category of documents held by the department in information under s.4(1)(b)(vi). About "Strengthening of technical set-up in Environmental Department", all that is clear is that 5 of the 14 officers / employees listed under s.4(1)(b)(ix) are Scientists. Neither this Plan-scheme web-page nor the functions, duties, procedures and norms disclosed under s.4(1)(b)(i)-(iv) indicate the precise technical role of or gaps in technical set-up in Environment Dept.