Info Commissioner directs BMC to pay compensation to activist

Maharashtra State Information Commission has awarded a compensation of Rs 3,000 to an RTI activist here, to be deducted from monthly salary of two Brihnmumbai Municipal Corporation officials for failing to furnish information to the former sought under an RTI query.
Chief Information Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad passed the order on May 4, while hearing the second appeal filed by applicant Anees Khan, that he be paid Rs 3,000 from the salary of Prashant Tawde and Sachin Nehre, who were posted as Public Information Officers (PIOs) at the BMC, before June 16 under relevant sections of RTI Act.
Besides directing the BMC Commissioner on paying the compensation, Gaikwad also ordered both the officers to reply by June 16 as to why they failed to perform their duty.

Khan had filed an RTI query in November last year with the civic body seeking information about action taken on his complaint, which he had lodged with ward officer of H-West ward in September, about "illegal" construction at a hotel in suburban Bandra.
"The then PIOs Prashant Tawde and Sachin Nehre clearly seems to have violated the ruled of RTI Act, and therefore, the Commission orders them to be present at Commission's Office on June 16, 2016, to clarify their stand," the order read.
Meanwhile, Khan said that he is happy that the Commission has taken cognisance of the matter and took action against the erring officials.

"But, I want complete redressal on my complaint in which I had alerted the ward officer about the illegal construction but they are sitting idle," he said.