Give details of Orient Cinema site, LIT told

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, April 22

Desperate attempts by the authorities of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) and the present owners of Orient Cinema site at Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar to keep the matter of subsequent change of ownership, restoration of allotment, waiver of penalty and other relief granted to defaulting allottee under wraps have been foiled by directions of the Punjab State Information Commission to provide a complete file pertaining to the site to the appellant under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

In the appeal filed by city-based advocate Harjot Singh, State Information Commissioner (SIC) Asit Jolly ruled: “This Commission is of the view that disclosure of the requested information is in larger public interest. The respondent (LIT) is given one month time from today to submit a copy of the complete file pertaining to the cinema hall cited in this RTI application from the date of its original allotment.”

In the second appeal preferred before the SIC, applicant Harjot Singh had made a submission that he had sought information under the RTI Act regarding the Orient Cinema site by way of the complete file vide his application dated August 13, 2020.

The respondent pleaded that the present owners of the cinema, cited in the RTI application, had objected to the release of any information pertaining to the said cite claiming it as ‘personal information’.

Expressing disagreement, the SIC observed: “However, in this RTI application, the appellant has sought information regarding the aforesaid cinema hall cite from the date of its original allotment which was many years before the present owners took possession of the same. The appellant voiced apprehensions that there have been considerable wrongdoings resulting in losses to the LIT.”

The case will be taken up for next hearing on August 12.