Mid-Day: Mumbai: Thursday, July 26, 2018.
The
Maharashtra government's school education department has been fined by the
Information Commissioner, not just for ignoring an RTI query filed over 6
months ago, but also for misplacing it. The action has been lauded by parents
fighting against the state government's lethargic approach towards schools
flouting regulations.
Responding to
the second appeal filed by a parent, Prasad Tulaskar, the information
commission on July 18 gave the order following two hearings. "Considering
the facts and situation in the case, action is taken against the Public
Information Officer (PIO) from the school education department of the
Maharashtra government. He has to pay a fine of Rs 25,000 which shall be
collected from his salary in five instalments," states the order issued by
the State Information Commissioner, Mumbai bench.
A complaint
about exorbitant fees was made by Tulaskar against the Sane Guruji School in
Dadar, where his son studies. He said parents knew it was not following Fee
Regulation Act. So he decided to find out about the Right To Education (RTE)
compliance of the school.
"After
the RTE Act was implemented in the year 2009, every school was expected to
acquire form number 2, which certified that it complied with the act. It was
found that the school had not acquired the compliance until 2017. Any school
delaying this was to be fined with Rs 1 lakh and then Rs 10 for every day
delayed," explained Tulaskar, who gave this RTI application in October
2017. When Tulaskar did not get a response, he approached the information
commissioner with his first appeal in March 2018 and second appeal in May 2018.
Vandana Krishna, chief secretary, school education department, was unavailable
for comment.
Rs 25,000 The fine to
be deducted from the salary of the Public Information Officer from the dept.
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