Udupi: In a slap to the District Health Officer of Udupi, Dr Surendra Chimbalkar, the Joint Director (CMD), Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services, acting upon the appeal in connection to DHO failing to provide information sought under Right to Information Act 2005 shot a notice to appear for enquiry.
According to the notice accessed by Newskarnataka.com, Joint Director has ordered the DHO to appear for the enquiry on April 28, today at 12.30 PM. An appeal regarding DHO not divulging the required information was filed with Chief Administrative Officer, Directorate Health and Family Welfare Services on March 25, 2015. The copy of the appeal was forwarded to Joint Director (JD) as JD of the department acts as the Public Information Officer and appellate authority for the health department.
The appeal was filed by the RTI activist Sanjeeva Kabaka. He had filed an RTI seeking information pertaining to Endosulfan victims, particularly asking residential address of all endo-victims and number of bed-ridden victims in Udupi district on December 22, 2014. The Public Information Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer on January 14, 2015 in reply to the RTI said information could not be provided at this level as there was a Public Interest Litigation pending in the High Court of Karnataka.
Questioning the explanation offered by the department, Sanjeeva filed an appeal. Sanjeeva contended that information under RTI was provided to him by the Dakshina Kannada Health and Family Welfare Department despite the case was pending in the court. In view of this, he was entitled to get the information, he added.
When Newskarnataka.com contacted the DHO of Udupi, he said he was in Bengaluru. “I am waiting for the higher officer.” At 12.45 PM, DHO was waiting at the office of the Joint Director in order to appear for the enquiry.