Times of India: Chandigarh: Friday, March 23, 2018.
The Haryana
State Information Commission (SIC) has issued show cause notice to the
officials of state PWD department for asking an applicant to pay
disproportionate resources charges to get information under the RTI Act. The
applicant was asked to pay Rs 5,000 as disproportionate resources charges for
the services of one clerical person and one peon for two days in lieu of
providing information.
“The
commission is shocked to observe that the SPIO has sought disproportionate
resources charges Rs 3,000 for one
clerical person for two days and Rs 2,000 for one peon for two days besides
postal and other charges. When asked, the representative of respondent SPIO had
no clue as to how this fiasco of disproportionate charges of Rs 5000 was
created. The commission is pained to observe that the respondent SPIO seems to
be not only careless and arrogant, but has no knowledge of the RTI Act even
after more than 12 years of its inception,” observed state information
commissioner Hemant Atri in his orders.
Atri further
ordered Bhim Sain, SPIO-cum-executive engineer (electrical division) to explain
as to why Rs 250 each day, subject to maximum of Rs 25,000 for wrongly seeking
the fee which is not mandated in the RTI Act, 2005 which amounts to denial of
information, be not imposed upon him.
SIC has also
directed Sain and R S Seharawat, first appellate authority-cum-superintending
engineer (Electrical Circle) of the department to appear in person before the
commission on May 1 with all documents.
The
commission has passed the orders while hearing an appeal filed by Sudama
Aggarwal of Hisar. The appellant had sought certain information from the
department on August 29, 2017 under the RTI Act. On August 29, 2017, SPIO
directed him to deposit Rs 5300 on account of documents fee, postal charges and
disproportionate resources charges.
An appeal was
filed on September 21, 2017, before the First Appellate Authority, which also
failed to provide him any information. Aggrieved from the officials’ attitude,
the applicant had approached the SIC with the prayer to provide requisite
information to him and initiate penal action against the respondent SPIO. He
has also prayed for compensation.