Zonal commissioner gets show-cause notice for providing no info under RTI

State Information Commissioner Ravinder Singh Nagi has issued a show-cause notice to IAS officer Isha Kalia, who is also zonal commissioner and PIO of Zone D, for not providing information under the RTI Act within stipulated time.

In addition, a penalty under Section 20(1) of the RTI Act, 2005, at the rate of Rs 250 per day subject to a maximum of Rs 25,000 was imposed on her till the information was furnished.

The next hearing is on March 16 at 2 pm through video conferencing.

Rohit Sabharwal, a resident of Kundan Nagar, had sought information under the RTI Act regarding the total number of matters reported to the local police by the corporation, the total number of encroachers on whom a penalty of Rs 500 per day had been imposed by the corporation and the total number of encroachers on whom a penalty not less than Rs 10,000 per week had been imposed.

The information was sought from the first appellate authority, Sukhjinder Kaur, on October 1, 2012. The first appeal before the first appellate authority was filed on October 1, 2012 whereas the second appeal was filed before the commission on November 22, 2012.

Sukhjinder Kaur, present on behalf of the applicant-appellant, said complete information only in respect of Zone C had been received while information provided by Zone A and B was incomplete and unattested as well. She submitted that no information from Zone D had been received in response to the application.

Rajiv Bhardwaj, superintendent, and Kanwaljit Kaur, APIOs, present on behalf of the respondents, assured the commission that complete information as per the application would be provided to the applicant-appellant within a week's time by registered post.

However, the information commissioner, taking strict note of Zone D providing no information, issued a show-cause notice and penalty as well.

... contd.

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