Patna: An application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, seeking information regarding functioning of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was replied to after over four months instead of the stipulated 30 days.

Pravin Chandra Roy, an RTI activist and research scholar from Central University of South Bihar, had, on December 12, 2017, filed an RTI application with the PMO (request registration number PMOIN/R/2017/54724) seeking details on names of persons who offer advice and consultation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Roy did receive a reply from the PMO, but it took 142 days.

On May 7, 2018, Roy received a letter dated May 3, 2018, from Parveen Kumar, under secretary and central public information officer, PMO.

The letter stated that people from all walks of life offer suggestions and ideas to the Prime Minister, both formally and informally, and the PMO does not maintain a list of such persons.

Roy, who has filed more than 500 RTI applications before various state and central government departments, told The Telegraph: "The central public information officer in the PMO did not provide information within 30 days. The time limit for getting information under the RTI Act in normal course is 30 days; the deadline for information, if it concerns the life or liberty of a person, is 48 hours. But in the present case it took more than 140 days."

Roy said that on January 11, 2018, he received a letter from Parveen Kumar, stating that the matter is being processed by his office and a reply would be sent as soon as possible. But on not getting a reply after almost three months, Roy, on April 10, again filed a new RTI application on the same matter (registration no PMOIN/R/2018/51600).

The Opposition condemned what they said was the callous attitude of the PMO. "This is disturbing but doesn't shock because this government, and particularly the present PMO, shall go down in history as an institution which has continuously blocked information coming in the public domain. This is one of the dominant features of a right-wing authoritarian regime. Such actions speak volumes of the politics of the people who head the PMO," said RJD MP Manoj Jha.

Satyavrat Verma, a Patna High Court lawyer dealing with RTI Act cases, said: "Not providing information within 30 days, that too by such an important office (PMO), amounts to negligence. If the PMO fails to reply within 30 days, I fear how much time other government offices will take."

Roy, who has filed more than 500 RTI applications, said other central and state government agencies are more prompt. For instance, on March 21 this year, Roy had filed an RTI query seeking information about foreign deals signed by chief minister Nitish Kumar. He received the reply on April 4.