The State Information Commission (SIC) has imposed penalty on Joint Secretary-cum-PIO of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department for submitting false information.
The Additional Secretary-cum-FAA of the Department was directed by the commission to be more diligent with RTI matters.In 2016, the State Government had invited suggestions from general public with reference to the Draft Odisha State Food Commission Rules, 2016 notified in the Odisha Gazette Notification dated 25-1-2016.
Five persons, Pradip Pradhan, Bhawani Sankar Nanda, Sanjukta Panigrahi, Sachikanta Pradhan and S Pratap Sahu, had submitted their suggestion by e-mail on February 2016 and sent the hard copy sent by post.
One of the suggestions was that the rule should have a provision to form Vigilance committee at each level, i.e. from State to Fair Price shops with two members from public. The rules were finalised on 17-2-2016 with minor corrections based on suggestions of only few members of public. The aforesaid persons suggestions were simply ignored and it did not find place in the file noting at all.
However, in another RTI application by Bhawani Sankar Nanda that though that 13 persons submitted their suggestions only five persons’ suggestions were noted in the note-sheet. The remaining suggestions were ignored. Even there is no mention in the note-sheet about reasons for not taking a note of the remaining suggestion.
Later, following a appeal by Nanda, the Information Commission after going through the documents and full hearing noticed the careless approach to the RTI Act and lie of the PIO. The commission also imposed penalty of Rs 7,000 on FS&CW Department Joint Secretary and PIO. I also directed the department’s former Additional Secretary and FAA to be more diligent in future while dealing with any matters under the RTI Act.