Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Aug 22: State chief information commissioner (CIC) K K Mishra was in the city on Thursday August 21, to examine appeals received against various officials from Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, for their failure to comply with the provisions of the Right to Information Act.
During the course of verification, he found that most of the officials against whom appeals had been filed, were trying to defend their actions by putting forth lame reasons. He heard 27 appeals in all, most of which were concerned with keeping the applications pending for inordinately long periods, replying with delay, improper information or not responding at all. During the course, he instructed most of the officials to furnish information asked for by the petitioners free of cost and also to allow the petitioners access to files and other documents.
The CIC ordered issuance of show-cause notice to Puttur town municipality chief officer N Janardhan for failing to provide information on the functions of the chief officer as sought by one of the petitioners, seeking his explanation as to why penalty should not be imposed on him for keeping the application pending for more than a year. When Janardhan tried to defend his action by saying that the information sought for was not specific but ambiguous, the CIC retorted by saying that he could have given this reply at least, in writing to the petitioner.
He reminded the officials that they were obliged under the Act, to provide information sought for, within 30 days of the receipt of applications. Failing compliance, they may face penalty of Rs 250 for every day's delay thereafter subject to a maximum of Rs 25,000, he cautioned. "I am taking a lenient view this time as this is my first public hearing here. It is the personal responsibility of the designated public information officers to ensure that the provisions of the act including the deadlines stated therein are met without fail," he reminded. Lenient view can be taken only in such rare cases where the public information officers have faced genuine difficulties in supplying information sought, he explained.