CIC slams delay by govt depts to answer RTI plea

Press Trust Of India; Kapurthala, November 11, 2010

Taking strong note of delay in providing information under RTI, Punjab Chief Information Commissioner has asked the state Home department and Police department to provide the same by November 29, failing which action would be taken against both departments.

Fourth Indian Reserve Battallion Commandant Iqbal Singh, fighting a legal battle for not promoting him since 1998 against the Punjab government in the state High Court, had alleged before the CIC that the two concerned departments did not provide him the requisite information under the RTI Act on time.

Singh has filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for "wrongly fixing" his seniority in 2005 and 2009 gradation lists. Singh, who retires in February, has also alleged that he has not been promoted as an IPS so far, while people who joined the force after him have been promoted to the IPS rank.

In this regard, he had filed an RTI application on April 15 this year for the confirmation orders of DSPs from 1981 to 1985 to check the seniority list.

Almost seven months after filing his application, Singh is yet to receive the information he sought and has shuttled back and forth between IG (Headquarters) and Home department.

While slamming both the departments concerned for the delay, the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) R I Singh also took note of procedures followed by the Department Selection Committee to appoint DSPs from 1981 to 2000.

The CIC directed both the departments concerned to provide Singh with the requisite information by November 29, failing which action would be taken against both the departments.

The Home department and Police department in the hearing before the Information Commissioner on November 4 said the proceeding files of Department Selection Committee were not traceable, according to Singh. After hearing both departments, Chief Information Commissioner directed them to trace the files concerned.