The Times of India:Thursday, January 19, 2012.
JHAJJAR: The violation of the provisions of the RTI Act on the part of the state public information officers (SPIOs) by way of denial or delay in furnishing information invites financial monetary penalty. But in Haryana, there are instances where SPIOs have not paid the fine and it seems have got away with it. According to information, a number of SPIOs who have been fined by the state information commission ( SIC) on being proved guilty of delaying or denying information to RTI applicants have not bothered to pay the fine.
And in the absence of rules for further action and due to the lenient view taken by the commission, these officials have walked scotfree, even though they have not paid the fine. The commission can direct the concerned departments to initiate disciplinary action against such officials.
According to information got under the RTI Act, 134 SPIOs were penalized by the commission during 19 months - from January 2010 to September 2011 - of which 77 officials did not bother to pay fine.
Subhash, state coordinator of Haryana Soochna Adhikar Manch, maintained that such officials are an impediment in the proper implementation of the Act and must be punished. He demanded that provision of imprisonment be incorporated in the RTI Act for such defaulters as the commission fined them only after holding them guilty of violation of the RTI Act.
Some of the defaulting SPIOs and the amount they were fined are as follow:
DEEO (district elementary education officer), Yamunanagar, Rs 8,500; XEN, pro division-PWD B&R, Jhajjar Rs 25,000; XEN, public health engineering division No.1- Panipat, Rs 10,000; XEN Public Health, engineering division, Narwana, Rs 25,000; registrar, co-operatives, Haryana, Rs 25,000; principal, Shaheed Udham Singh Nursing College, Ratia, Rs 25,000; XEN, public health engineering division, Charkhi Dadri, Rs 25,000; district social welfare officer, Sonipat, Rs 25,000, deputy civil surgeon, Jind, Rs 10,000; sarpanch of Khataila Saria, Palwal, Rs 15,000; sarpanch, Sanwar village (Bhiwani), Rs 15,000; executive officer (EO), Gurgaon, Rs 15,000; XEN, public health, Narnaul, Rs 25,000; XEN, public health, Bhiwani Rs 25,000; XEN, public health division 2, Bhiwani, Rs 15,000; CEO, Sirsa Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd, Rs10,000.
And in the absence of rules for further action and due to the lenient view taken by the commission, these officials have walked scotfree, even though they have not paid the fine. The commission can direct the concerned departments to initiate disciplinary action against such officials.
According to information got under the RTI Act, 134 SPIOs were penalized by the commission during 19 months - from January 2010 to September 2011 - of which 77 officials did not bother to pay fine.
Subhash, state coordinator of Haryana Soochna Adhikar Manch, maintained that such officials are an impediment in the proper implementation of the Act and must be punished. He demanded that provision of imprisonment be incorporated in the RTI Act for such defaulters as the commission fined them only after holding them guilty of violation of the RTI Act.
Some of the defaulting SPIOs and the amount they were fined are as follow:
DEEO (district elementary education officer), Yamunanagar, Rs 8,500; XEN, pro division-PWD B&R, Jhajjar Rs 25,000; XEN, public health engineering division No.1- Panipat, Rs 10,000; XEN Public Health, engineering division, Narwana, Rs 25,000; registrar, co-operatives, Haryana, Rs 25,000; principal, Shaheed Udham Singh Nursing College, Ratia, Rs 25,000; XEN, public health engineering division, Charkhi Dadri, Rs 25,000; district social welfare officer, Sonipat, Rs 25,000, deputy civil surgeon, Jind, Rs 10,000; sarpanch of Khataila Saria, Palwal, Rs 15,000; sarpanch, Sanwar village (Bhiwani), Rs 15,000; executive officer (EO), Gurgaon, Rs 15,000; XEN, public health, Narnaul, Rs 25,000; XEN, public health, Bhiwani Rs 25,000; XEN, public health division 2, Bhiwani, Rs 15,000; CEO, Sirsa Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd, Rs10,000.
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