Bureaucrat fined under RTI Act

Bureaucrat fined under RTI Act

by OUR CORRESPONDENT , The Telegraph

Imphal, June 28: Ukhrul deputy commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pal was fined Rs 25,000 under the Right to Information Act for failing to furnish information sought from him.

Manipur chief information commissioner R.K. Angousana Singh issued the order today, directing Pal, the state public information officer, to deposit the amount in the government account within 15 days. The commissioner, in his order, said the information officer failed to furnish the required information despite repeated reminders from the commission.

The commissioner on June 13 asked Pal to furnish the information within seven days to R.K. Awungashi, chairman of an Ukhrul district NGO.

The commission also issued a show cause notice on the same date stating that fines should be imposed on him for failing to furnish the information.

The deputy commissioner, however, said he had directed the zonal education commissioner Ukhrul to furnish the required information to the commission.

Awungashi wanted information on the construction of 68 ramps in 58 schools of the district for the Assembly elections held in February last year. The construction cost Rs 1,30,092, provided by the school education department.

Awungashi, the petitioner, in his application dated March 27, 2007 told the information officer that he wanted to inspect the construction of the ramps after getting the relevant information from him.

The commission said the information officer neither rejected the petition, nor gave any response. The petitioner then moved the commission on July 24 last year.