Hindustan Times: Chandigarh: Monday, 14 July 2014.
The Punjab
state information commission has issued a show cause notice to SAS Nagar
additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Puneet Goyal of SAS Nagar, for not
providing the information in time under the Right to Information (RTI).
HS Hundal,
through an RTI dated Feb 10 earlier this year, had asked the deputy
commissioner to provide information regarding the utilisation of funds received
for MNREGA pertaining to the Kharar block in SAS Nagar district since 2008. The
deputy commissioner had forwarded the application to the ADC.
A month
later, when Hundal did not receive a reply, he filed his first appeal with the
deputy commissioner. Receiving no reply to this as well, he then approached the
state information commission on his second appeal.
At the
hearing of the second appeal on July 9, Pardeep Singh, who had appeared on
behalf of the respondent, argued that the information sought was available on
the department’s website.Observing that the ADC did not appear before it
himself, the commission said, “It is observed that the respondent has no regard
for the orders issued by the commission”.
The state
commission, in its affidavit, has asked Goyal to explain the delay and justify
why the complainant must not be compensated for the harassment and financial
loss caused to the complainant in getting the information. The commission also
directed him to file the answer of why complainant should not be compensated
for the harassment and financial loss suffered by him in getting the
information.Puneet Goyal must file his reply, as well as provide the information
sought by Hundal, before the next date of hearing which is on August 20.
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