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Central Information Commission Penalizes Officer for RTI Non-Compliance
Why Central Information Commission slashed public officer’s salary for RTI non-disclosure
Image: The Indian Express
The Central Information Commission (CIC) imposed a ₹1,000 penalty on a public information officer for failing to respond to an RTI application for over one-and-a-half years. The officer's absence during hearings and inadequate representation hindered the adjudication process, prompting the CIC to take action.
- 01The RTI application was filed on July 25, 2022, but no response was received for over 18 months.
- 02The officer failed to appear personally at the hearing, sending an unqualified representative instead.
- 03The CIC found the officer's conduct wasted the commission's resources and violated the RTI Act.
- 04The penalty of ₹1,000 was ordered to be deducted from the officer's salary.
- 05The officer cited staff shortages as a reason for his absence and the inadequacy of his representative.
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The Central Information Commission (CIC) recently penalized a public information officer ₹1,000 for neglecting to respond to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed on July 25, 2022, which sought information regarding unauthorized electricity and water disconnections in Naraina Village, New Delhi. After one-and-a-half years without a response, the complainant escalated the issue to the CIC. During the hearing, the officer did not attend, and his representative was unprepared and lacked proper authorization. The CIC criticized the officer's actions for wasting its time and resources, stating that such conduct undermines the RTI Act and the citizen's right to information. The commission emphasized that participation in hearings is a statutory obligation. The officer later provided some responses offline, which the CIC deemed inadequate. Consequently, the CIC ordered a penalty to be deducted from the officer's salary, highlighting the importance of accountability in public service.
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The penalty reflects the CIC's commitment to ensuring accountability among public officers, which may encourage better compliance with RTI requests in the future.
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