CIC surprised over appointment of schizophrenic CPIO in SSC

"We do not think it is just to impose any penalty on her even though she had not acted on the RTI application when she first received it because of her peculiar medical conditions.

"We wonder why and how the SSC had chosen her as the CPIO. Now that she is out of the SSC, we can only hope that the SSC would select the CPIOs carefully and not burden physically and mentally afflicted officers with this additional responsibility," Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra said in his order.

Allahabad-resident Ram Krishna Gupta had filed two RTI applications -- September 16, 2010 and December 8, 2010 -- to the then CPIO Jyoti Gulati in the SSC.

Gulati had given a combined reply on January 10, 2011. "While her reply was within the time limit of the second RTI application, it was late for the first application. The said CPIO has to show cause why she should not be penalised for not giving the information in time for one of these RTI applications," the CIC has held in its earlier order.

The SSC officer, present in the last hearing, was directed by the Commission to find out Gulati's current place of posting (she had been transferred from SSC during the course of time) and send her a copy of CIC's order so that she can appear before the transparency panel. (MORE)