Kalaburagi: The Karnataka State Information Commission’s Kalaburagi Bench has penalised two deputy directors of the social welfare department for failing to furnish information sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and for not complying with the Commission’s orders.
Background of the Case
The action came during the hearing of an appeal filed by Rangalinganagouda of Raichur, who alleged that the requested information had not been provided even after two years. The Bench, headed by state information commissioner B Venkat Singh, treated the officials’ conduct as a serious lapse.
Penalties Imposed
Former Raichur deputy director Vijayalakshmi has been fined Rs 10,000, while current deputy director Shivappa has been penalised Rs 5,000. The Commission noted that Vijayalakshmi had earlier been fined Rs 5,000 for failing to provide the information and for remaining absent from the hearing despite repeated directions. As she continued to ignore the orders, the penalty was enhanced to Rs 10,000.
Shivappa was also directed to furnish the information and appear before the Commission but failed to comply, leading to a penalty of Rs 5,000.
Recovery and Compliance
The Commission has directed Raichur social welfare department deputy director Praveenkumar and Yadgir deputy director Chidanandappa to recover the penalty amounts from the officials and submit a compliance report under Section 18(3) of the RTI Act, 2005.
It further warned that failure to implement the order would invite additional legal action under Section 20(2) of the RTI Act.
