Press Trust of India: New Delhi: Tuesday,
March 28, 2017.
The Central
Information Commission has directed customs department to refund Rs 2,222 along
with interest to an RTI applicant who was not provided information despite
depositing the fee for photo copy of records.
The
settlement commission of the customs department had taken 10 months after the
fee was deposited to provide 1111 pages of information to activist R K Jain.
Taking stern
view of the case, Information Commissioner Bimal Julka directed refund of the
fee collected from Jain along with interest, in accordance with the extant
guidelines issued by the Finance Ministry, from the day fee was deposited.
"The
CPIO is also cautioned to be extremely careful and vigilant in handling RTI
petitions in future, failing which the Commission would initiate penal action
under...the RTI Act, 2005," Julka said.
Jain had
sought several records from the settlement commission which he was told
totalled 1111 pages. He was asked to deposit Rs 2,222 as photocopying charges
for the same. But even after depositing the fee, the information was not
provided to him for 10 months.
.JPG)
.JPG)
