Following a strong criticism from various quarters including the opposition and a possible legal backlash, the Andhra Pradesh government restored the posting of government orders online on Wednesday, but in a different format.
Last month, the Jagan government issued a circular to all the departments asking them not to place any GO in public domain.
As such, the practice of publishing the GOs in the official website: http://goir.ap.gov.in was dispensed with, thereby denying the people an access to all government orders and GO numbers.
Apparently, the decision was taken following reports that the opposition parties were creating unnecessary fuss based on the GOs placed.
Moreover, crucial government information is being passed on to the opposition from the departments.
Following this, the opposition TDP moved the high court, challenging the decision and saying that denying access to the GOs amounting to violation of Right to Information Act.
As the issue was coming up in the high court on Wednesday, the Jagan government quickly restored the practice, but with certain changes.
It issued another GO (GO No. 100) stating that the GOs would now be placed in AP e-gazette website: apegazette.cgg.gov.in
The latest GO said the government had dispensed with the system of generating numbers from GOIR website as it was found that the orders being uploaded in GOIR online platform was neither physically nor digitally signed.
So, the government has decided to adopt the new system so as to fulfil the people’s right to information while being in accordance with the AP Secretariat Office Manual, AP Government Businesses Rules, Right to Information Act, Information Technology Act and other relevant legal requirements.
It said the AP e-Gazette will act as a single point repository of information that shall be regularly updated and can be widely accessed by the public and they would have digital signatures of the concerned authority.
However, orders pertaining solely to personal information which are not of public concern shall be exempted from publishing in AP e-Gazette.
Similarly, the GOs in the nature of minor expenditures and information that do not qualify as public interest shall also be exempt from publishing in AP e-Gazette.
However, even the latest GO is now being challenged in the high court by the petitioners. They demanded that all the GOs be kept in public domain. The government counsel said all the details would be placed before the court by Monday.
