IPS officer fined for RTI info delay
DIG Syed Ulfat Hussain ordered to pay 5,000 penalty for keeping applicant waiting for a year for details of recruitment process
Chetan R chetan.rudrappa@timesgroup.com
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOINEW/navigator.asp?Daily=BGMIR&showST=true&login=default&pub=MM&AW=1329460571030
In an unusual case, the State Information Commission (SIC) has slapped a fine on a senior IPS officer for a delay in providing information.
On February 10, the SIC levied a penalty of 5,000 on deputy inspector general of police Syed Ulfat Hussain for not complying with its directive. The information commission passed the order after it found the senior police officer's reply to its show cause notice unsatisfactory.
Hussain is facing the heat for causing a delay of over a year in providing information on a recruitment process that took place in the year 2009 when he was the DIG in charge of recruitment and training).
"We welcome the information commission's move of fining a senior officer taking into view the petitioner's plight. We don't get to see such orders often," said Veeresh Bellur, an RTI activist. "This order against a senior IPS officer is an eye-opener, as in most cases, the information is either withheld or not given to the people who are in need."
The case pertains to the recruitment to the post of police sub-inspector. Some aspirants had alleged rampant malpractice during the process. Using the RTI Act, they had sought visuals of over 35 examination halls in Appa Doddappa Engineering College in Gulbarga.
The department of recruitment and training slept over the application saying that the information was not given as the recruitment process was in progress. The aspirants moved the SIC stating that the process was completed long ago.
"The final list was announced in October 2010 and appointment orders were issued the same month, but information was not furnished even after completion of the recruitment process. The information was not provided despite the SIC, in September 2010, directing the department to do so after the recruitment process was completed," Veeresh added.
The information was provided in September 2011, which meant a delay of about a year.
Also, the department failed to honour its undertaking given to the SIC to provide the information to the applicant immediately after completion of the recruitment process.
commission issued a show cause notice to the officer asking why action should not be initiated for the delay in providing information.
After finding the respondent's reply unsatisfactory, the SIC imposed a fine on Hussain.
"It is a warning to officials in various departments who are delaying in providing information, which is affecting several RTI pleas. Such orders help in effective implementation of the RTI Act," Veeresh explained.
Hussain, who is currently the DIG (headquarters II), denies any delay in delivering information to RTI queries. "I'm not aware of this case, but I have been providing information and haven't delayed or withheld information from RTI applicants. Also, there was no malpractice during my stint as DIG recruitment and training," Hussain told Bangalore Mirror.
No comments:
Post a Comment