The
Times of India: Lucknow: Tuesday, November 06, 2012.
Yet another
embarrassment for the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) which has a poor
track record in providing information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The chief information commissioner Ranjit Singh Pankaj has slapped a fine of Rs
25,000 on the LMC public information officer PK Srivastava for not providing
information to an applicant even after two years.
The applicant
had filed an RTI plea on November 29, 2010, seeking 10-point information from
the PIO/municipal commissioner. When he failed to get it, he filed a complaint
with the State Information Commission (SIC).
The
commission held at least five hearings into the matter, till January 17, 2012.
On the first hearing, held on June 17, 2011, no one from LMC appeared before
the commission. On January 17 this year, even as the commission took up the
matter for the fifth time, there was no representation from LMC.
Taking
cognizance of the continued absence, the commission issued a showcause notice
to the LMC and sought its reply on failure to provide information. But even
after this no one from LMC appeared before the commission. Consequently, the
commission slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on Srivastava, who is also additional
municipal commissioner.
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