Information officers come under RTI scanner
State commission cracks down on information officers who delay providing
information to citizens.
Mayura Janwalkar
Information officers of various government agencies are facing the heat –
and, often, fines – for withholding information from citizens.
In one year of exposing loopholes in the bureaucracy, curbing corruption and
red-tapism through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the state information
commission has not spared the rod when it comes to officers responsible for
providing information. The state information commissioner recently levied a
fine of Rs9,750, to be recovered from the salary of SP Sangane, divisional
joint registrar, co-operative housing societies, for delaying information
sought under the RTI.
Tarun Ghia, a Mumbai resident, had demanded copies of the orders of
appointment of chartered accountants and certified auditors to audit
co-operative housing societies, on January 23, 2006. Ghia was provided the
required information on April 20 – 84 days after the application. Under the
Act, only 30 days to provide information is permissible and another 15 days
to intimate the applicant about photocopying charges. But even after
counting those days, there was still a delay of 39 days.
Ghia then filed a complaint and, in the hearing before the state information
commissioner, Sangane cited administrative reasons such as the ongoing
assembly session, large number of appeals, urgent notices and the chief
officer going on sick leave as causes of delay. State Information
Commissioner Suresh Joshi, however, said the reasons did not justify a
39-day delay.
In another case, social activist Gaurang Vora sought information regarding
MMRDA projects that required trees to be chopped or replanted, through the
RTI Act. The information was delayed by 29 days. SR Nandargikar,
superintendent engineer and engineering and information officer, MMRDA was
fined Rs7,250 (Rs 250 per day of delay). “I’m quite satisfied with the
action that the commissioner has taken but the need of the hour is 10 chief
information commissioners in the state,” Vora said.
Suresh Joshi, chief information commissioner, Maharashtra, said: “We look at
the gravity of the case and then impose a fine or order departmental
proceedings. If it’s a tehsildar in Gadchiroli, who has very little
administrative exposure, then we are lenient and may issue a warning but if
it’s a corporator in Pune or Mumbai, who is well aware of administrative
responsibilities, we take stricter action.”