Times of India : Belagavi: Tuesday,
February 14, 2017.
State
Information Commission chairman Shankar Patil has slapped a penalty of Rs
25,000 on VN Karekar, town planning officer in Belagavi Urban Development
Authority (Buda), presently serving at Hubballi Dharawad Urban Development
Authority in the same position, on the grounds of negligence and malafide
intention of not sharing information under the Right to Information Act.
At a public
hearing at the deputy commissioner's office, Justice Patil observed that the
designated information officer of the Buda had not the shared the information
even after three years, which indicates dereliction of duty and malafide
intention not to share the information with the public.
Advocate
Nagappa Sogalad who sought information on the eligibility criteria of
appointment of members for Buda was not provided the information since past
three years. In this connection, the state commission also instructed Buda to
provide information in accordance with the Act in 2014. Observing gross
negligence on the part of VN Karekar, the state commission chief imposed a
penalty under Section 27 of the Act which should be remitted within 10 days.
In another
case, a show-cause notice will be served to BG Mujawar, retired assistant sub
inspector attached to Hirebagewadi police station, as he had provided wrong
information to the applicant. Chairman Shankar Patil said that of 31 cases, 15
were disposed of and the remaining cases were adjourned. Expressing concern at
the number of applications with the commission, he said that the public as well
as government officers have failed to understand the act. "Often people
come with grievance applications on which the commission doesn't have authority
to act," he said.
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