Two months on while citizens can look to have an appeal heard virtually in quasi-judicial matters at the BMC, little awareness and online hearing option not being communicated while they are called for appeal makes them travel and be physically present for it.
During the Covid-19 period, a group of RTI activists had approached the high court to have online hearings in quasi-judicial matters after they had come to a standstill due to movement restrictions. The court asked the government to have hearings for the appeal stage that included the first appeal. When restrictions were curbed, citizens again asked that the same facility be extended to post-Covid times that would save time and efforts of citizens and officers. The state government had then asked various departments to take steps in this direction.
The BMC in the last week of June came up with a circular that quasi-judicial hearings be held online. However, due to a lack of awareness and citizens not being informed about the option when intimation of appeal is informed, many did not know about the virtual hearing option.
Anand Bhandare, an applicant said, “I have filed some applications but there was no virtual hearing.” when the matter reached the appeal stage.
“Greater awareness will ensure that the time of both officers and citizens is saved. Not many know about the circular and officials also need to start informing citizens about the online hearing facility while intimating about the appeal. Citizens need to know that there is an option for both physical and online hearings. They can either of the two,” said Bhaskar Prabhu, an RTI activist who has been following up on the issue.
When contacted, Milin Sawant, joint commissioner of the general administration department in BMC that looks after the issue said, “We have put the circular online and it is in the public domain for everyone to see.
Anyone not getting details of a virtual hearing should show the circular and ask the officer concerned to have an online hearing. All the necessary infrastructural requirements have been provided to the officers for the same,” he added.
