SIC notice to Gurgaon official for ignoring RTI request

The state information commissioner in Haryana has issued show cause notice to public information officer-cum-Gurgaon deputy district education officer (DEO) for not replying to a RTI request filed by an activist.

SIC Yoginder Paul Gupta has issued a notice to Gurgaon deputy DEO Paramjeet Kaur for not replying to a Right to Information request filed by activist Sudhir Yadav, a resident of Farukhnagar.

Yadav had filed the RTI request on May 18, 2015 asking for information regarding Form Six (school fee structure) of all recognised schools in Gurgaon.

Yadav met Kaur last year in this regard in her Gurgaon office and told her that his RTI request was still pending.

"I also filed first appeal to DEO Manoj Kaushik asking for help to get the information but after all efforts, when it looked that I won't get the information, I complained to the state information commissioner on June 26, 2015 asking him to impose the highest possible penalty on the SPIO," Yadav told IANS.

Gupta, in a show cause notice to Kaur, said that a penalty up to Rs.25,000 may be imposed on her and directed her to be present in his office on April 5, 2016 for hearing.

Earlier, on September 18, 2015 the SIC issued notice to both parties for hearing under section 18(2) of the RTI Act.

At a hearing on February 8, 2016 Sandeep Kumar, a clerk, had appeared on behalf of the SPIO and said that the information was provided against the RTI request on January 13, 2016

However, Yadav said that the information provided was too little and late and requested the SIC to impose a penalty on the officer.