Chandigarh Tribune: Ludhiana:
Thursday, February 16, 2017.
State
Information Commissioner AS Chanduraian has slapped a penalty of Rs 25,000 on a
Public Information Officer (PIO), who is an Assistant Town Planner, and directed
the Municipal Commissioner to recover the amount from the former’s salary and
deposit the amount under the relevant head before the next hearing in the case
i.e. February 22.
According to information, a resident of
Sarabha Nagar, Dr BS Sidhu, had sought information from the MC regarding a
hotel and marriage palace situated opposite Punjab Agriculture University
(PAU). More than eight hearings have been conducted in the case but the
applicant has not been provided a satisfactory reply by the PIO.
On the sixth hearing held on August 30, 2016,
it was stated that the respondent (PIO) had intentionally made a wrong and
misleading statement by saying that the completion plans of the particular
hotel and marriage palace were kept in record in accordance with the number of
the building plan of the hotel and the marriage palace.
During several hearings in the case, the
Commission directed the PIO concerned to appear in person before it and bring
relevant records. A warning was also issued to the PIO that non-compliance of
the Commission’s orders would attract action under the provisions of the RTI
Act, still there was no response from the PIO.
Dr Sidhu alleged that incomplete information
was supplied to him and he was being deliberately harassed by the PIO.
Accordingly, a penalty of Rs 25,000 was imposed on the PIO holding him or her
guilty of violation under Section 20 (1) of the RTI Act. The Commissioner
ordered that the amount may be deducted from the salary of the PIO in three
instalments (two of Rs 10,000 each and the third one of Rs 5,000). It has been directed that the PIO be present
with all relevant record on the next date of hearing in the case.
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