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| BDO refunds Rs 1000 to BPL applicant | | As RTI applicant moves SIC | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Feb 26: An RTI applicant belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) catagory who is exempted to pay RTI fees was asked by the Block Development Officer (BDO) Khansahib Budgam to pay xerox fees amounting to Rs 1000. When the applicant filed a complaint before State Information Commission (SIC) , only days before the case hearing BDO refunded the fees to information seeker.
Details available with Early Times reveal that one Mushtaq Ahmad Rather a resident of Fujpora Khansahib filed a complaint under section 15 of J&K RTI Act, 2009 against Block Development Officer, Khansaheb/PIO before the State Information Commission (SIC) on 01-05-2017 alleging therein that he filed an RTI application dated 21-02-2017 before BDO, Khansahib for providing some information. The PIO/BDO Khansahib vide his letter No. BDO/KSB/RTI/3864 dated 01-03- 2017 directed the complainant to produce the copy of ration card attested by the Gazetted Officer or self attested and also deposit Rs. 1,000/- as Photostat charges for 500 pages. However, instead of providing 500 pages, only 19 pages were furnished to the applicant which too was in contradiction with the information uploaded on official website of the Rural Development Department.
The complainant finally filed a complaint and requested the Commission to impose penalty on the erring officer for demanding and collecting fee from the complainant who was exempted from such fee being a BPL person and also take disciplinary action against him for his neglect towards public duty. Against the inaction of the PIO.
SIC order reads as :
"The complaint was again listed for hearing on 20-02-2018. Gulzar Ahmad Rather, PIO/BDO Khansahib and Mushtaq Ahmad Rather, complainant attended the hearing. The PIO stated that the complainant has not only been provided with the information as sought by him vide his RTI application dated 21- 02-2017 but the amount of Rs. 1,000/- deposited by him has been refunded to him. The complainant has acknowledged to have received the desired information and also the amount deposited by him. He stated that he does not want to pursue the complaint anymore. In the instant case, no purpose will be served to pursue with this complaint in this Commission as the PIO has reported that necessary action was taken on the RTI application and the amount of Rs. 1,000/- has also been refunded to the complainant. The complainant is also not interested in pursuing the complaint. However, the PIO is directed to remain cautious in future while dealing with RTI requests and shall bear in mind that persons who are below poverty line are exempted from payment of fee and photocopying charges in terms of proviso to sub-section (5) of Section 7 of the J&K RTI Act. With the above observations, this complaint is disposed of as closed". |
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