Times of India: Bangalore: Friday,
11 October 2024.
The high court upheld the
orders passed by Karnataka Information Commission (KIC), imposing Rs 25,000
cost on delinquent officers for delay of more than 150 days in providing
information on applications filed under Right to Information (RTI) Act.
In the orders passed by KIC headed by HC Sathyan, panchayat officers KS Rajaram, BN Ashwathnarayana, Ezaz Pasha and Krishnamurthy were penalised for their failure to furnish information on applications filed by P Anil Kumar from Kolar, R Shankar from Bangarpet and Balasubramaniam from Bengaluru.
They'd sought information about receipts and expenditure of Ghattakamadenahalli and Sundarapalya gram panchayats for 2021-22, expenditure on rural employment schemes in Ghattakamadenahalli and procurement of motor pumps in Hulkur.
Challenging the orders, the officers claimed the delay in furnishing information was due to their workload. However, after perusing the materials on record, Justice KV Aravind said there indeed was a delay of more than 150 days in providing the information.
"The provisions of RTI Act mandate furnishing of information within 30 days. The delay is not reasonably explained... If the timelines provided under RTI Act are not implemented, the very purpose of fixing a time-frame for compliance will be defeated," the judge said.
"The KIC order is well-reasoned, and the order imposing a penalty of Rs 25,000 each on the petitioners is justifiable," the judge further observed while dismissing the petitions.
In the orders passed by KIC headed by HC Sathyan, panchayat officers KS Rajaram, BN Ashwathnarayana, Ezaz Pasha and Krishnamurthy were penalised for their failure to furnish information on applications filed by P Anil Kumar from Kolar, R Shankar from Bangarpet and Balasubramaniam from Bengaluru.
They'd sought information about receipts and expenditure of Ghattakamadenahalli and Sundarapalya gram panchayats for 2021-22, expenditure on rural employment schemes in Ghattakamadenahalli and procurement of motor pumps in Hulkur.
Challenging the orders, the officers claimed the delay in furnishing information was due to their workload. However, after perusing the materials on record, Justice KV Aravind said there indeed was a delay of more than 150 days in providing the information.
"The provisions of RTI Act mandate furnishing of information within 30 days. The delay is not reasonably explained... If the timelines provided under RTI Act are not implemented, the very purpose of fixing a time-frame for compliance will be defeated," the judge said.
"The KIC order is well-reasoned, and the order imposing a penalty of Rs 25,000 each on the petitioners is justifiable," the judge further observed while dismissing the petitions.
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