MIC orders SPIO/EO to respond to RTI query
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, June 15 2022:
The State Chief Information Commissioner of Manipur Information Commission has directed the SPIO/Executive Officer of Wangoi Municipal Council to provide the certified copy of the response to an RTI query within three weeks.
A hearing on an appeal Case filed by one Th Sanjit as appellant with SPIO/EO Wangoi Municipal Council and others as respondents was heard on June 7 .
During the hearing, it was submitted that the appellant filed an RTI application to SPIO/EO Wangoi Municipal Council on October 14, 2020.After this, the appellant filed the first appeal to Deputy Commissioner Imphal West on November 21, 2020, followed by the second appeal to the Commission on January 18, 2021 .
The Commission issued summons to the SPIO along with directions on February 27 of the same year, to response to the appellant's query.
However, the SPIO refused to accept the summons.
The Commission then directed the SPIO to provide a valid reason in writing on why the response was not given to the appellant, but the SPIO failed to act till date.
Maintaining that the SPIO/EO is violating Section 7 (1) of the RTI Act, 2005 by not providing any valid reason for denying response to the appellant's query, the Commission directed the SPIO/EO to provide a certified copy of the response to the appellant within 3 weeks.
If the SPIO/EO Wangoi Municipal Council fails to do so, disciplinary action will be initiated under Section 20 (2) of RTI Act, 2005 .
It further directed the SPIO/EO to pay a fine of Rs 25,000: If the appellant is unsatisfied, he may approach the Commission before the next hearing of the case which is on August 1 .