PANJIM: The Goa State Information Commission (GSIC) has directed the Public Information Officer (PIO) of Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) to show cause for causing harassment to the applicant by furnishing the information which was readily available, after a considerable delay. Also, the CCP has been directed to pay compensation to the applicant.
State Information Commissioner Sanjay N Dhavalikar, in a recently delivered judgment held the PIO guilty for the delay as well as not offering any justification for not furnishing the information within the stipulated period of 30 days.
The same PIO earlier in a similar matter was warned for not complying with the provisions of the Right To Information (RTI) Act. In spite of the earlier warning, PIO Siddesh Naik failed to provide information within 30 days, which compelled the applicant to approach the appellate authority.
Such an arrogant conduct in violation of the provisions of the RTI Act is not acceptable, hence, show cause notice needs to be issued to the PIO seeking his explanation on why penalty should not be imposed against him, Dhavalikar stated in his order.
PIO under section 7(1) of the RTI Act is required to furnish information or respond to the applicant within maximum of 30 days from receipt of the request. However, Naik did not even respond to the application. Being aggrieved, applicant Nihar Milind Barve filed first appeal. Information was provided by the PIO only after Clen Madeira, First Appellate Authority and Commissioner of CCP directed him to disclose the information.
The applicant while claiming that the PIO deliberately did not provide the information inspite of the fact that the same was available in his office and the said delay had caused him unnecessary expenditure and harassment, requested the Commission for compensation and penal action against the PIO. Dhavalikar, while allowing the appeal directed the CCP to pay Rs 7,792 to the applicant as compensation.
