MADURAI: A bus conductor who received Rs 10,000 as compensation from the Public Information Officer of TNSTC (Madurai) for not responding to his RTI query on time, donated the money to an old-age home in Thiru Nagar.
According to sources, S Sundaramoorthy (40) the conductor from Peraiyur, on November 3, 2020 took a ticket book from the TNSTC office allegedly without recording it in the register. During the trip, a checking inspector declared the ticket book as invalid and initiated an inquiry. against him.
Speaking to TNIE, Sundaramoorthy said “During the inquiry, I was also charged of printing the ticket book on my own and collecting money from passengers. I sought details from the Primary Register of TNSTC (Madurai), which contains a record of all ticket books issued by the stationery division. However, the officials refused.
On January 1, 2023, I filed an RTI application seeking access to the register, but my request was rejected. Despite several months, there was no response from authorities. I then appealed to the State Information Commission in November 2025 and travelled to Chennai for the inquiry. Officials of the State Information Commission determined there had been an unreasonable delay in providing access to the Primary Register and imposed a penalty of Rs 10,000 on the PIO of TNSTC (Madurai) on December 18, 2025. The amount was handed over to me on January 19, 2026.”
“I wanted to do something worthwhile with the money and donated it to an old age home located in Thiru Nagar on January 21, “ he added.