The Information Commission has issued show-cause notice to Food Controller seeking to know why he should not be penalised for his gross slackness in denying information in the case related to denial of ration to a lonely old man in Rewa district of MP.
Information Commissioner Rahul Singh has also ordered the officer (also the Public Information Officer) to submit the action taken report on the matter to commission and appellant by 11am on Thursday. The panel has asked the officer concerned to send his reply via fax, WhatsApp or email.
The appellant Shivanand Dwivedi had forwarded his complaint to Information commissioner Rahul Singh in Bhopal via twitter and email on Wednesday around 11am and after perusing all the relevant documents issued his order through WhatsApp to the appellant and the Public Information Officer.
This is perhaps the first instance in Madhya Pradesh where the State Information Commission has acted within five hours on a complaint.
Besides, the information commissioner also pulled up Addl Collector i.e. appellant authority for slackness in offering information and denying receipt to the appellant.
He has also instructed the district collector Basant Kurre to make sure all the appellants get the receipt from PIOs and appellant officers.
The RTI activist had sought information on ration allotment to Khiladi Kol and Lalmani Yadav, both natives of village Saraikala under Gangev Janpad and eligible for ration under BPL category and multiple disabilities. Dwivedi had mentioned in the RTI plea that Kol is under BPL category and in old age and as his wife has passed away he could die of hunger after denial of ration.
Under RTI act’s section 7 (1), information is offered in such cases within 48 hours, said Dwivedi adding this wasn’t the case in this instance.