SHAILESH GANDHI Vs. MAHARASHTRA STATE INFORMATION COMMISSION

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioners have prayed for directions to the respondents to issue appropriate guidelines or directions to all the public authorities in the State of Maharashtra to adopt an appropriate online video conferencing platform for conducting hearings pertaining to proceedings under the diverse statutes applicable to such public authorities as well as for conducting hearing of First Appeals under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

(2.) While considering the PIL petition on September 15, 2020, we requested Ms. Shastri, learned Additional Government Pleader for the State to take instructions on the issue as raised in this PIL petition.

(3.) Ms. Shastri has submitted today a letter dated September 22, 2020, issued from the office of the Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra. It appears, on reading of such letter, that the Government of Maharashtra is inclined to adopt appropriate online video conferencing platform for conducting hearing of quasi-judicial/administrative proceedings; however, the procedure may take some time as a meeting will have to be convened with the concerned Departments including the Finance Department and that necessary guidelines and directions would be issued to all the public authorities thereafter. It also appears that some of the authorities are already conducting the hearing through video conferencing.