Fine of Rs 25-25 thousand on Panchayat Secretaries, Chhattisgarh State Information Commission took action

Raipur. Chhattisgarh State Information Commission has imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 each on two secretaries of Gram Panchayats for negligence in providing timely information to the applicants and for not properly implementing the Right to Information Act. State Information Commissioner Manoj Trivedi has imposed this fine on Gotilal Patel, Secretary of Nagarada Gram Panchayat of Balodabazar district and Arun Budhek, Secretary of Gram Panchayat Parghiya of Mahasamund district. The State Information Commissioner has instructed the Chief Executive Officer of the concerned districts, District Panchayat, after collecting the fine amount, deposit it in the government account and send the compliance report to the Commission.

Instructions for investigation and disciplinary action

The State Information Commissioner has directed the General Administration Department to investigate and take disciplinary action as per rules against the then Public Information Officer and Tehsildar of Pithora of Mahasamund district, Bansingh Netam, in the matter of giving information to an applicant two years late. Shri Netam is currently posted as Deputy Collector in Sukma district. In this case, it has been found that the then Public Information Officer Tehsildar Pithora has said that he has not received the application sent by registered post. Therefore, the State Information Commissioner has asked the General Administration Department to get the fact checked by a competent officer whether the original application sent by the applicant by registered post has been received in the office of the Public Information Officer or not. And if received, then by which employee it was received and why the original application was not brought to the notice of the Public Information Officer by him. If the then Public Information Officer Netam is found guilty in the investigation, then necessary disciplinary action should be taken against him as per rules.

In another case, a complaint was filed against Vridavan Vishwakarma, the then Public Information Officer of Gram Panchayat Boirlami of Mahasamund district, for not giving full charge to the present Public Information Officer, for stating that the information would be made available within 15 days in the hearing before the First Appellate Officer and the First Appellate Officer. Instructions have been given to the CEO of the District Panchayat to conduct an investigation as per rules and take strict disciplinary action against Shri Vishwakarma for not providing information to the applicant even after the order.