Penalty of Rs 25,000 under RTI Act in West Bengal

[abhijeet]

Penalty of Rs 25,00/- under RTI Act,2005 imposed by State Commission <O:p</O:p
<ST1:p</ST1:p<O:p</O:p<O:p</O:p
Ananda Bazar Patrika -19/08/2007
<O:p</O:p
State commission has imposed a max. amount of Rs 25,000/- upon Mugbenapur village Panchayat Secretary for not furnishing information even after 2<SUP>nd</SUP> appeal on 9<SUP>th</SUP>August,07.<O:p</O:p
Ratikanta Paul of Pranballavpur village submitted an application to the State Public Information Officer of Village Panchayat on 25<SUP>th</SUP> Sept,06. Without receiving any information even after one month he preferred an appeal. Even that he did not receive any information or any clarification of delay in furnishing the information sought for. Then he submitted 2<SUP>nd</SUP> appeal to the State Commission on 26<SUP>th</SUP> Dec,06. The SIC directed the SPIO to furnish the information within 15days to the applicant, on 18<SUP>th</SUP> January, 2007. On 20<SUP>th</SUP> March,07 Sri Ratikanta Paul, the concerned applicant informed the State Commission that he did not receive any information. The Commission sent show cause notice on 28<SUP>th</SUP> August, 2007, Without getting any response, the Commission on 10<SUP>th</SUP> July, 07 asked the concerned SPIO, the applicant and the A.A.
But neither the SPIO nor the App. Authority was present to the Commission .
At last the State Commission imposed the max. penalty of Rs. 25000/-
<O:p</O:pBut we expect prompt action from State Commission. I submitted an application on 20th March, 07. After 2nd Appeal I received aletter from SPIO to attend the hearing arranged in A.A's Chamber on 21st August,07. No information furnished.

abhijeet

[colnrkurup]

Dear Mr.Abhijeet,
It is a good sign. But I suggest you may please track it. I have found many cases in Kerala. Just to get popularity the SIC might impose such penalty. But did he say as to which 'head of account' the amount is to be credited or the mode of realisation. The SIC himself may cancel it or suspend it silently as being done in Kerala with no news to the press who gave publicity of such penalty. Or the PIO might have obtained a stay order from the High Court at government expense. In one of such cases I have been trying to get a reply as to who has born the legal expenses. My secod appeal is pending with the SIC, Kerala sincelong without at least an acknowledgement . In fact any honest CIC should have been happy that some one like me is doing his paid job of ensuring the recovery at my expenses and the SIC does not cooperate with me. What does this mean ?. So my advice is to track the case till you are satisfied that the amount has been recovered and creditted in treasury. When I get the reply it might open a new thread that "the government is fighting in High Court at his own expense to cancell its own orders.

[kushal]

Moved from suggestion and feedback forum to RTI news and Discussion forum.

[abhijeet]

Dear Colnrkurup,
It has been mentioned that Rs 25,00 will be realised from the salary of that SPIO, in 10 installments. The problem is that this news has come today, but afterwards when "Sic will silently cancel it or suspend it" then that news will not be published in the news papers. Because media is not that interested in RTI they have many more "interesting" matters which will increase the sell of newspapers . It is not possible for us to have information from that remote village and our great machinery of SIC is not at all interested to let us know all those things. Even SIC of our state has got no website and almost use less FAX and I did not have eny response over phone.So just imagine the situation--- abhijeet