Times of India: Nasik: Saturday,
October 22, 2016.
The Right to
Information (RTI) commissioner imposed a Rs-3,000 fine on Milind Jahagirdar,
the Nashil Public Library former general secretary, for denying and delaying
information sought under the RTI Act.
Jahagirdar
was suspended from his post at the library, also known as the Sarvajanik
Vachanalaya Nashik or SaVaNa, three days ago for the alleged involvement in
misappropriation of library funds. He was found guilty of purposefully delaying
the information sought by former library member Shrikrishna Shirode.
"I was a
SaVaNa member for the last 55 years. One fine day, my membership was cancelled
without any prior notice. I was told that trust executives passed a resolution
to cancel my membership. So, I had asked for a copy of the same resolution
under RTI. Being the first appealing officer, Jahagirdar rejected by plea,"
Shirode said.
According to
Jahagirdar, as Shirode was not a library member when he filed the RTI plea, it
was impossible to share the minutes of the library's internal meetings with
him.
"Finally,
Jahagirdar's senior, Vilas Aurangadkar ordered him to hand over the copy of the
document to me. It took him 65 days to get the copy. I registered a complaint
at the RTI office because of the delay. The office found Jahagirdar guilty and
asked him to pay the fine," Shirode further added.
According to
RTI Commissioner Ravindra Jadhav, said, "Jahagirdar was fined under
section 20 (1) of the RTI Act for not furnishing information within the
specified time and for purposefully denying the request for information."
This decision
came as a blow to suspended members as their fate will be decided at a meeting
scheduled on Sunday. Jahagirdar was not available for comment.
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