Rly official fined Rs 25K for delay in giving info
Central Information Commission issues notice to Western Railway CPIO for not responding to RTI plea for 5 months
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, June 29, 2009 (Ahmedbad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2009062920090629183537984137a15a3)
Lethargy in parting with information sought under RTI Act has cost a Railway official Rs 25,000 in fine and an additional Rs 10,000 for Western Railway towards compensation to the applicant. The Central Information Commission (CIC), Delhi delivered its order on June 18 and asked Railways to respond to its notice by July 15.
Applicant Saiyed Sharif Chasmawala had filed an application with engineering department, Western Railway, Ahmedabad on September 20, 2007 seeking information on the agreement between Railways and a contractor about building overbridges at Palanpur. According to rules, the CPIO should have furnished the info in a month of receiving the RTI plea.
Chasmawala, a social worker, however did not hear from the CPIO for two-and-a-half months after filing the plea, following which he filed an application with the Appellate Authority, i.e. the GM of Western Railway, on January 15, 2008 seeking the same information.
The Appellate Authority did give Chasmawala some info on February 19, but asked him to pay about Rs 200 for copies of the agreement he had sought. Unsatisfied with the information, Chasmawala filed a second appeal with the CIC on June 2, 2008 seeking redressal of the inordinate delay. The CIC Bench headed by Anapurna Dixit scheduled the hearing for June 18, 2009.
Arguing before the CIC, Chasmawala said he received only part of the info he had sought from the GM’s office, five months after filing a plea with the CPIO.
The CIC found the delay inexplicable and issue the CPIO a show-cause notice why a penalty of Rs 250 a day should not be imposed on him for not providing information within the stipulated period. It also directed WR to compensate the applicant Rs 10,000 for expenses incurred by him for five months to avail the information.
Sources said a show-cause notice is a prelude to effecting the fine on the erring official. The fine amount is usually paid up by the organisation, and then recovered from the official’s salary.
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, June 29, 2009 (Ahmedbad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2009062920090629183537984137a15a3)
Lethargy in parting with information sought under RTI Act has cost a Railway official Rs 25,000 in fine and an additional Rs 10,000 for Western Railway towards compensation to the applicant. The Central Information Commission (CIC), Delhi delivered its order on June 18 and asked Railways to respond to its notice by July 15.
Applicant Saiyed Sharif Chasmawala had filed an application with engineering department, Western Railway, Ahmedabad on September 20, 2007 seeking information on the agreement between Railways and a contractor about building overbridges at Palanpur. According to rules, the CPIO should have furnished the info in a month of receiving the RTI plea.
Chasmawala, a social worker, however did not hear from the CPIO for two-and-a-half months after filing the plea, following which he filed an application with the Appellate Authority, i.e. the GM of Western Railway, on January 15, 2008 seeking the same information.
The Appellate Authority did give Chasmawala some info on February 19, but asked him to pay about Rs 200 for copies of the agreement he had sought. Unsatisfied with the information, Chasmawala filed a second appeal with the CIC on June 2, 2008 seeking redressal of the inordinate delay. The CIC Bench headed by Anapurna Dixit scheduled the hearing for June 18, 2009.
Arguing before the CIC, Chasmawala said he received only part of the info he had sought from the GM’s office, five months after filing a plea with the CPIO.
The CIC found the delay inexplicable and issue the CPIO a show-cause notice why a penalty of Rs 250 a day should not be imposed on him for not providing information within the stipulated period. It also directed WR to compensate the applicant Rs 10,000 for expenses incurred by him for five months to avail the information.
Sources said a show-cause notice is a prelude to effecting the fine on the erring official. The fine amount is usually paid up by the organisation, and then recovered from the official’s salary.
