RTI activist seeks recovery of fine from Haryana officials

Senior officials were fined by SIC for violation of the Act

Photo: rti.gov.in

A complaint has been filed before Haryana Lokayukta by a Panipat-based RTI activist seeking recovery of ₹2.27 crore outstanding fine with interest from 1,726 officials, including several Haryana Civil Services officials. The officials were fined by the State Information Commission (SIC) over the past few years for violating the provisions of the Act, including not furnishing the information, in separate cases.

P.P. Kapoor, the complainant, said these officials were penalised by the SIC under Section 20 (1) for violation of the law, but they neither paid the fine nor imparted the information making “mockery” of the RTI Act. He further said that the State government had also failed to initiate any legal action against these officials. “Those seeking information under the law keep running from pillar to post, but they are not heard. It is also causing loss to the State exchequer,” said Mr. Kapoor.

Besides seeking the recovery of the fine, Mr. Kapoor demanded that the improper conduct of the officials be recorded in their Annual Confidential Reports, the Drawing and Disbursement Officials responsible for the recovery be also punished and a special cell set up for the recovery of fine in the future.

Some of the defaulter officials named in the complaint are Bharat Bhushan Gogia (then Estate Officer, Haryana Sahari Vikas Pradhikaran, Gurugram), Bijender Hooda (then SDM, Charkhi Dadri), Kumari Shalini Chetan (then CTM, Hisar), Aiyaz Mohammad (Estate Officer, Waqf Board, Sonipat) and Parveen Kumar (then ADC, Gurugram).

As per the complaint, State Public Information Officer (SPIO), Yagya Dutt Chugh, in reply to a query filed by Mr. Kapoor under the RTI Act, had revealed that 2,974 SPIOs were fined ₹3.50 crore till December 2019 and ₹2.27 crore was yet to be recovered. Mr. Kapoor added that the number of defaulter officials would have gone up since then.

Mr. Kapoor said that circulars were sent to the heads of the departments of the defaulter officials and the senior officials of the government by Chief Secretary, Administrative Reforms Department, several times, but the “influential” defaulters did not pay the penalty.