Hindustan Times: Panchkula:
Saturday, 25 January 2020.
State
Information Commission, Haryana, has penalised a former official of Panchkula
municipal corporation (MC) for not providing information sought by a resident
under the Right to Information (RTI) regarding rumble strips installed on the
city roads.
The
commission has imposed a penalty of ₹5,000 on then executive engineer-cum-state
public information officer (SPIO), LC Chauhan, who was earlier posted with
Panchkula MC. Presently, he is posted with Karnal MC. The commission has also
directed the present executive engineer of Panchkula civic body, Ankit Lohan,
to provide information to Sector 15 resident and president of Citizen Welfare
Association, Panchkula, SK Nayar.
SHOW-CAUSE
NOTICE ISSUED IN JAN 2019
Lohan
has also been directed to appear before the commission on April 21. The orders
were issued last week on the date of hearing of a show-cause notice. Nayar had
filed a RTI application on May 29, 2018, before Chauhan, who was then posted as
the executive engineer-cum-SPIO with Panchkula MC. Through the application,
Nayar had sought a certified copy regarding the installation of rumble strips
and cat’s eyes in Panchkula city along with name and address of their
contractor. After Chauhan did not give response to the RTI sought, a show-cause
notice was issued against him in January 2019.
‘DELAY
ON PART OF JUNIOR ENGINEER’
During
the hearing, Chauhan had submitted that the RTI application was presented
before him only on August 9, 2018. He stated that he had written a letter to a
junior engineer for supplying the information to the appellant and later issued
two reminders also. “The requisite information was procured from the branch
concerned and was furnished to the appellant on January 30, 2019,” he said,
adding that there was delay on part of his subordinate.
After
hearing the arguments, the commission said, “On perusal of the case file, the
commission observes that then SPIO Chauhan had not transferred the RTI
application under Sections of the RTI Act, to the branch concerned.” “The
responsibility of supplying information cannot be shifted, hence, LC Chauhan,
the then SPIO, is liable for symbolic penalty,” it ruled.
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