Times of India: Chennai: Friday, 17 May 2024.
A public information officer (PIO) of the transport commissionerate has been slapped a fine of `10,000 and issued a showcause notice by the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission for failure to furnish information sought by an activist within five days as stipulated by the RTI Act.
Chief information commissioner M Shakeel Akther issued the compensation order and also directed the PIO of transport commissionerate in Chennai to showcause as to why disciplinary action should not be initiated against the then PIO of Madurai (South) RTO office, Thenmozhi, for forwarding the RTI petition after a month, instead of within 5 days as per rules.
In 2021, Kasimayan, a city-based RTI activist, filed two RTI petitions to the transport commissionerate one seeking information on the incident of driving licences with the same serial number (TN59 19830003285) having been issued to two different persons in Madurai region; and the other on the action taken report (ATR) on erring officers, as assured by the then transport minister Raja Kannappan.
While the driving licence of the same serial number had been renewed in Madurai (Central) RTO, a fresh licence with the same number was issued by Tirumangalam unit office as well.
The petitions originally addressed to the PIO at the office of the transport commissionerate in Chepauk were subsequently forwarded to the respective offices in Madurai region. As he received only partial replies to his queries and did not get any reply for the other query, he moved the information commission for remedy.
The commission, which took up both the cases on April 16, held that the petitioner did not get all the information he sought under RTI though he was entitled to.
Citing the Supreme Court order in the Girish Ramchandra Deshpande vs Central Info Commission case, the chief commissioner said memos, censures, showcause notices and punishment details would fall under personnel information and directed the PIO to furnish the number of pending memos against the RTO staffers.
For not providing information such as the details of the motor vehicle inspector, PIO and names of the two persons who received driving licences with the same serial number, the information commissioner directed the Transport Commissionerate's PIO to pay `10,000 as compensation to the Kasimayan.
A public information officer (PIO) of the transport commissionerate has been slapped a fine of `10,000 and issued a showcause notice by the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission for failure to furnish information sought by an activist within five days as stipulated by the RTI Act.
Chief information commissioner M Shakeel Akther issued the compensation order and also directed the PIO of transport commissionerate in Chennai to showcause as to why disciplinary action should not be initiated against the then PIO of Madurai (South) RTO office, Thenmozhi, for forwarding the RTI petition after a month, instead of within 5 days as per rules.
In 2021, Kasimayan, a city-based RTI activist, filed two RTI petitions to the transport commissionerate one seeking information on the incident of driving licences with the same serial number (TN59 19830003285) having been issued to two different persons in Madurai region; and the other on the action taken report (ATR) on erring officers, as assured by the then transport minister Raja Kannappan.
While the driving licence of the same serial number had been renewed in Madurai (Central) RTO, a fresh licence with the same number was issued by Tirumangalam unit office as well.
The petitions originally addressed to the PIO at the office of the transport commissionerate in Chepauk were subsequently forwarded to the respective offices in Madurai region. As he received only partial replies to his queries and did not get any reply for the other query, he moved the information commission for remedy.
The commission, which took up both the cases on April 16, held that the petitioner did not get all the information he sought under RTI though he was entitled to.
Citing the Supreme Court order in the Girish Ramchandra Deshpande vs Central Info Commission case, the chief commissioner said memos, censures, showcause notices and punishment details would fall under personnel information and directed the PIO to furnish the number of pending memos against the RTO staffers.
For not providing information such as the details of the motor vehicle inspector, PIO and names of the two persons who received driving licences with the same serial number, the information commissioner directed the Transport Commissionerate's PIO to pay `10,000 as compensation to the Kasimayan.
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