The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), a key arm of the Government of India, appears to be openly disregarding statutory and constitutional obligations, particularly in the implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Within the Ministry — especially the MSME Development Organisation — Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs), allegedly acting under directions from senior officials, are neither responding within the stipulated timelines mandated under the RTI Act nor disposing of applications in any reasonable time frame. Several cases reveal that RTI pleas are being indefinitely sidelined, effectively forgotten.

What makes the situation more serious is that this neglect is not confined to citizens. Even serving and retired senior officers of the Ministry are facing the same apathy. A retired senior officer has formally accused Assistant Director and CPIO Rajesh Sukumaran of failing to discharge his duties under the RTI Act.

Mr. Sukumaran, when confronted, cited “excessive workload” as the reason for the delays — effectively using administrative burden as a shield for non-compliance with a legal obligation.

Repeated attempts to reach Dr. Rajneesh, head of the MSME Development Organisation, remained unsuccessful. However, G. Shanmuganathan, former In-Charge Industrial Adviser, minced no words. He asserted that the rule of law within the Office of the Development Commissioner (MSME) has collapsed, alleging widespread double standards in decision-making. He called for a deeper probe — not just into RTI violations — but into what he described as an entrenched pattern of legal and procedural non-compliance across the Ministry and its various offices.

He further questioned how a “parallel system of functioning” has been allowed to thrive unchecked, citing multiple instances of irregularity.

When approached for clarification, the Office of the Secretary claimed complete ignorance of the matter.

Special Report by Manjari