news details |
|
|
| MC Katra denies info to RTI applicant; SIC issues penalty notice | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Dec 22: As the Executive Officer Municipal Committee (MC) Katra failed to provide information about various developmental works executed in Katra town to an information seeker under State Right to Information Act (RTI), the State Information Commission (SIC) taking the matter seriously has issued penalty notice against the officer who is also the Public Information Officer (PIO) under J&K RTI Act 2009 of the MC Katra.
Details available with Early Times reveal that one Pankaj Basotra (Advocate), a resident of the Shiv Nagar Jammu filed 2nd appeal under section 16 of J&K RTI 2009 before the State Information Commission (SIC) on 05-08.2015, which was admitted after rectifying deficiencies on 17-11-2015.
The appellant alleged that he had filed an RTI application before the PIO, in the office Municipal committee, Katra, on 19-03-2015 seeking information about funds allotted by the Housing and Urban Development Department under Plan/Non Plan during the period 01.04.2012 to 28.02.2015 along with the purpose of the funds and year wise detail of the amount collected as fee and fine of various natures for the period 01-04-2012 to 28-02-2015.
He had further sought details of head wise expenditure made during the period 01-04-2012 to 28-02-2015 along with the nature and nomenclature of the development works executed including the salary disbursed during the period from 01-04-2012 to 28-02-2015. He had also sought copies of tender notice of all type of auctions or execution of development works along with the name and date of the newspaper in which the same had been published for the period 01-04-2012 to 28-02-2015 along with the competitive statements of the contractors who had submitted the tender against such tenders and also the name and addresses of the contractors.
The applicant had further demanded list of the officers and officials working at Municipal Committee, Katra for the period with designation alongwith date wise withdrawals made for meeting the expenditure or making the payments to the staff/contractors/suppliers besides list of the material suppliers along with the nature of the items supplied.
The PIO under section 7 of the Jammu & Kashmir Right to Information Act, 2009 was required to pass an order, as expeditiously as possible, but not later than 30 days i.e. the outer limit for passing an order but he failed to give response to the appellant within time. The appellant filed first appeal before the First Appellate Authority (FAA) ie Director Local Bodies, Jammu on 07.05.2015. The FAA passed an order on 10.06.2015 directing the Executive Officer-cum-PIO, Municipal Committee, Katra to furnish the requisite information as sought by the applicant within 10 days from the date of receipt of the order under intimation to his office. Being aggrieved with the response of the PIO MC Katra the appellant filed 2nd appeal before the State Information Commission (SIC) SIC ordered that PIO-cum-Chief Executive Officer, Municipal Committee Katra should explain why penalty under section 17 of the Jammu & Kashmir Right to Information Act, 2009 may not be imposed on him for failing to act as per the provisions of the law and providing the information within period prescribed. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
