Govt employee pulled up for slack response to RTI query
TNN, Aug 19, 2010, 02.26am IST
LUCKNOW: Acting late on an RTI application can work against a
government employee. As happened with one of the senior clerks in the
directorate of local bodies. The said employee did not bring the RTI
application to the notice of PIO on time. As a result, the information
sought by the applicant could only be provided to him a year after.
The directorate of local bodies took disciplinary action against the
senior clerk and made an adverse entry in his ACR.
In the said case, in sequence of the orders passed by the high court
and supreme court, applicant, Salim Baig had sought information about
the work taken up by the government to remove encroachment from ponds,
wetlands and wells in the state. He had sought district-wise
information under RTI from urban development department. The applicant
had asked for the information a year back, on July 6, 2009.
The application was transferred by the public information officer
(PIO) of the urban development department to the principal secretary,
rural development department and director, local bodies, on July 16,
2009. The directorate of local bodies provided the information to the
applicant exactly a year after, on June 4, 2010. The information could
not be provided on time because the application was not forwarded
quickly to the PIO by one of the senior clerks. This being the reason
why directorate took disciplinary action against the said employee.
Since the information provided by the directorate was incomplete,
applicant lodged a complaint with the state information commission
(SIC).
The directorate informed SIC during hearing that it would provide the
complete information as and when it comes from remaining districts.
However, the rural development department did not provide the
information, claiming it was not related to it. This made the matter a
bit complicated.
The letter which was transferred to the rural development department
was in turn transferred by its PIO, Sita Ram Yadav, to PIO of revenue
department on August 4, 2009, on the ground that information demanded
by the applicant is related to the revenue department. But the said
letter did not reach revenue department. On the other hand, a copy of
the letter sent to the applicant to inform him that his letter has
been transferred to revenue department, did reach him. It was only
when PIO of revenue department was asked to be present in the
commission for the hearing, as he had failed to provide the
information, did he come to know of the matter.
The information commissioner Gyanendra Sharma, who heard the case in
June this year, directed the PIO of rural development department to
certify by way of a proof that he had transferred the RTI application
to the PIO of the revenue department. On the other hand, PIO of the
revenue department has also been directed to look into the matter of
`misplaced' letter.
The commissioner also ordered director of local bodies that remaining
information be provided to the applicant and to ensure that
information sought under RTI is provided by the office within the
stipulated time. The next hearing in the matter has been fixed for
September 7.
--
Urvashi Sharma
RTI Helpmail( Web Based )
aishwaryaj2010@gmail.com
Mobile Rti Helpline
8081898081 ( 8 A.M. to 10 P.M. )
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