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| Contractor claims to be BPL; SIC initiates probe | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, June 1: The State Information Commission (SIC) has initiated a probe to verify how a contractor has been issued a BPL ration card by the authorities. The said contractor from Chennani Udhampur has been using RTI Act to extract information from Government offices while he is exempted to pay RTI application / Xerox fees which has led to financial loss in some Government offices. SIC has directed Tehsildar Chenani to probe this issue and check all sources of income of this contractor.
Details available with Early Times reveal that an information seeker namely Beer Singh R/O Ganthwal Teshil Chennani District Udhampur filed an RTI application on 20-09- 2017 before the PIO/ Chief Education Officer, Udhampur seeking information / photocopies of attendance registers of all Middle Schools of Chenani Zone from March, 2016 to February, 2017, details of teachers/Masters working in other zones.
The attention of the Commission was, however, drawn by the PIO towards a number of similar RTI applications filed by the appellant. Two of such applications gave rise to 2nd appeals, being appeal No. SIC/J/A/232/2017 and appeal No. SIC/J/A/235/2017, which were disposed of by the Commission on 12-04-2018. In appeal No. SIC/J/A/235/2017, the appellant had sought information relating to personal details including leave availed by ZEO, Chenani since his appointment, nature of leave, his attendance, salary drawn by him, tours/inspections conducted by him, copy of arrival and departure register of ZEO office, Chenani etc. The PIO furnished information to the appellant in those clubbed appeals during the hearing on 12-04-2018 that spread over more than 3000 pages.
The Commission expressed its feeling that the appellant seems to have some personal grudge against ZEO, Chenani (now ZEO, Udhampur) and the sole purpose of seeking such information was to settle personal scores by the appellant. Appellant Beer Singh failed to specify the public interest that would be served by disclosing the information sought by him. On the other hand, the appellant as per SIC order seems to have some personal issues with the ZEO in charge of Chenani Zone for the relevant period and the motive behind filing of multiple RTI applications by him is only to harass the concerned officer.
While passing the final order Information Commissioner M A Mir ruled; "The Tehsildar, Chenani is directed to enquire into the circumstances under which the appellant claims to be a BPL persons inspite of being a Contractor. The Tehsildar shall assess the annual income of the appellant from all sources and then decide if he falls under BPL Catergory. Registry is directed to send a copy of this order also to Tehsildar, Chenani for appropriate action. " |
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