Right to Information (RTI) Act Commissioner Lam Tantia Kumari has warned Public Information Officers (PIO) of serious action, including slapping of penalty, if the information sought under the Act was not provided to the appellants within 30 days of filling of the applications.
41 appeals
The Commissioner, who received as many as 41 appeals from the three North Andhra coastal districts at the Zilla Parishad Guest House here on Friday, said that the Public Information Officers would be penalised and the transport charges of the appellants would be collected from the officials if they made people visit the office for a second appeal.
Moreover, she said that she would not tolerate if people were denied information or provided partially on the pretext of “file missing.”
“If a file is found missing, the Public Information Officers must lodge a complaint with police and submit the FIR copy to the complainant,” she said at a media conference here.
Ms. Tantia Kumari also issued notices to 18 Public Information Officers seeking explanation from them on various issues.
In response to two appeals pertaining to the appointment of two contract lecturers in violation of procedure, the Commissioner asked the Joint Director to probe the matter and submit a comprehensive report to her at the earliest.
She said that the two appointments were made on the instructions over phone from the Joint Director.
Owing to increasing awareness among people about the Act, pendency of appeals could be minimised, if Public Information Officers disposed them of at their level, she felt and added so far, 1,400 appeals, a majority of them marked “file missing” from Rayalaseema region, were pending.
PIOs to face penalty, if information not given to appellants within a month of filing of RTI queries
In case of missing file, PIOs need to lodge police complaint and submit FIR copy to complainant
Notices served on 18 PIOs seeking explanation on various issues
