CIC imposes penalty on Revenue Department official.
Government officers who have contempt for irritating institutions like Tribunals and Courts, better watch out. The Central Information Commission is not going to watch helplessly the bureaucratic arrogance in disobeying laws.
The complainant, had filed his RTI-request dated 25.1.2007 before the CPIO. He received no reply from her. So he approached the Commission. The Commission issued a notice dated 1.6.2007 for hearing under Section 20(1) of the RTI Act to the CPIO. Ms.Amrita Mishra, the CPIO, on whom notice was served, has not submitted any response to the notice nor has she presented herself for hearing before the Commission.
As no response has been received from the CPIO, it is assumed that she has nothing to submit and so the Commission imposed a penalty of Rs. 25,000/-. The CPIO Amrita Mishra has been directed to make the payment in three monthly instalments.
The Commission directed the Secretary of the Department to ensure that the penalty imposed on the CPIO is duly collected from her and remitted to Government.
The Commission had also explained the details of how the payment is to be recovered.
The penalty is to be debited to the pay and allowances of the CPIO commencing with the pay bill of August 2007. Rs. 25,000/- as penalty shall be collected in 3 monthly instalments, as follows (beginning August 2007)
1st Instalment = Rs. 8,500/-
2nd Instalment = Rs. 8,500/-
3rd Instalment = Rs. 8,000/-
The salary paying authority may be directed to effect these payments under intimation to the Commission. To avoid any confusion, the CIC has also given the accounting head into which the penalty has to be credited.
CIC's F.No.CIC/AT/C/2007/00131 Dated, the 23rd July, 2007.