MADURAI: After TNIE carried a report about a public information officer, who was fined for failing to furnish a response to an RTI application, the Public Information Officer in Theni (superintending engineer's office) paid the fine amount of Rs 5,000 to the complainant. The news report was published on February 27.
According to sources, M Sakthi was working as an assistant engineer at the Tangedco office in Periyakulam. He had filed an RTI application with Bala Boomi, Tangedco public information officer, at the TNEB executive engineer's office in Periyakulam, on December 4, 2021, seeking documents regarding a case pending against him. The officer, however, failed to furnish the required details.
Sakthi submitted the first appeal on February 8, 2022, and a second appeal with State Public Information Commissioner M Sridhar, on March 19, 2022. Subsequently, Commissioner Sridhar ordered Bala Boomi to furnish the requested documents on November 28, 2022, and warned the officer of action under the RTI Act if he failed to do so, sources said.
Despite the order, Bala Boomi did not furnish the said details, and was slapped with a fine of Rs 5,000 for causing mental and physical stress to the petitioner. Sridhar also asked the officer to send an acknowledgement to the state information commissioner's office after furnishing the documents. Boomi, however, failed to follow all the instructions, sources added.
Speaking to TNIE, Sakthi said that after the news was published on February 27, the public information officer from the superintending engineer's office called him and handed over the fine of Rs 5,000. "While I am working as an assistant engineer in Periyakulam, Superintending Engineer G Umadevi allegedly issued a charge memo against me. But, I hadn't received documents from my department and neither have I received documents from RTI petition. So, I filed a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. It is being heard at a special court for SC/ST cases in Theni," he said.
Sakthi further stated that under the RTI Act, a public information officer who fails to furnish details in time could be punished by being issued a charge memo, or a suspension. "But, in reality no one was punished. Hence, implementing authorities must take action as per the act in order to provide justice to the victim," Sakthi added.