Complainant gets compensation under RTI Act

[ganpat1956]

Chandigarh, April 1: In a recent judgement, the office of the State Information Commission, Punjab (SICP) has imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the Public Information Officer (PIO) on his failure to provide information to the complainant within the stipulated period of 30 days under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The two-member Bench of State Information Commissioners P.P.S. Gill and R.K. Gupta has taken serious cognisance of the fact that despite orders from the Commission, the required information was not supplied within the prescribed time period.

Gurdial Singh, Finance Secretary, Pensioners, Ludhiana, had sought information from the PIO, Director of Employment, Punjab, regarding some recruitments since 2004, but even after over two months, Prem Singh, Under Secretary, PIO, along with Harbans Sharma, Employment Officer, and Harjit Singh, Senior Assistant, failed to provide the information.


Even when Gurdial Singh approached the Commission in December, the PIO failed to comply. On March 16, the respondent, on behalf of the PIO, told the Commission that the information has been dispatched by them on March 12. However, the complainant denied having received any information and nor could the respondent produce any documentary proof.

The Commission not only imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the PIO, but also ordered that compensation be paid to Gurdial Singh for harassment. Since he had to come from Ludhiana to attend five hearings, the respondent department has been ordered to pay Rs 500, along with Rs 500 as diet charges, for five days to Gurdial Singh.
A spokesman of the Commission said this is first time in the country that a commission of any state has provided harassment and diet charges.

Complainant gets compensation under RTI Act