BENGALURU: Taking note of inconsistencies between statutory provisions and information hosted on official websites, the High Court has asked the state government to ensure uniform standards in all its departments.
“The principal secretary of the department of e-Governance should, within a period of three months, formulate a comprehensive policy governing publication, verification and maintenance of content on official websites of all government departments, boards, corporations and statutory authorities,” said Justice Suraj Govindaraj, cautioning BWSSB for uploading on its website information without having force of law, while rejecting a petition filed in 2016 by an educational institution seeking direction to declare that it is not liable to pay pro-rata charges as demanded by the board.
The court said the website of a public authority is not merely an informational platform. For most citizens, it is the first and often the only source of information.
An ordinary person does not ordinarily read the parent Act or the detailed regulations framed under it. Instead, he or she relies on what is published on the official website... Therefore, the policy should provide a system of prior legal vetting before uploading any document that relate to statutory rights or obligations; prescribed fees, charges, classifications, penalties, or entitlements; or interpret or explain any provision of a law, the court said.