The MC posted the disclosures on its website (www.ludhianacorp.com) last week.

Proactive disclosures include the details of functioning of organisation, powers of its officers, policy matters, rules of filing any complaint, how to take water/ sewer connection, house tax rules, who is public information officer, etc.

Though it is mandatory for every government department to display proactive disclosures on its website under Section 4(1)(b) of the Right to Information Act, it took 26 months for this NGO to force the LMC prepare its disclosures.

The Resurgence India had filed an application with Public Information Officer of the LMC on December 15, 2005 seeking a copy of the 17 manuals of its proactive disclosures besides other things," said Hitendar Jain, General Secretary of the society.

According to the rules of the RTI Act, the disclosures should have been done by October 12, 2005.

" More than 50% of the RTI complaints will reduce automatically once proactive disclosures are displayed on websites. One can get most of the information from these 17-point manuals only, " said Jain.

He also added the inordinate delay in providing information speaks volumes about the functioning and management of the LMC. "Disclosures are the responsibility of the head of the public authority which is commissioner in the case of the LMC. The responsibility for the delay of almost two-and-a-half years should be fixed on all the commissioners who have occupied the post since October 12, 2005," said Jain. Meanwhile, it needs to be mentioned that after filing the complaint, on February7, 2006, the then commissioner LMC did not bother to respond. The second appeal was filed with the Punjab Information Commission on March 27, the same year. After 11 hearings, the case was finally disposed of on the assurance by the LMC that necessary disclosures would be provided by October 10, 2007.

The LMC again failed to keep its word and the NGO had to file an application for revival of the closed appeal with the commission on January 23 this year. It was only after the filing of the fresh application that the LMC has at last posted its disclosures on its website.

MC Commissioner Vikas Pratap was made to appear before the commission on November 27, 2006 for corporation's failure to provide any information. He, along with Local Government Principal Secretary DS Bains, again appeared before the commission on January 29, 2008 for failing to provide effective computerised management information systems in the Corporation and not making any disclosures.