NALGONDA: The State Information Commission has imposed a fine on the District Educational Officer (DEO), Nalgonda, for replying in English to a student’s query on the implementation of Telugu in the district education department and for seeking a fee for information that should have been provided free of cost.
The case arose after eight-year-old Kannekanti Karthik, a student of MVR School living near Saibaba temple in Shivajinagar, Nalgonda, filed an application under Section 4(1)(B) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act on July 15 last year.
Karthik told TNIE that he had sought information on 17 points, including the implementation of the Telugu language in the Nalgonda district education department, the appointment process of all staff members working in the DEO office, their specific responsibilities and their salary details.
However, on July 26, the authorities reportedly sent an irrelevant reply in English instead of furnishing the requested information. Karthik said that after he appealed against receiving a response in English, the office sent a reply in Telugu stating that he would have to pay a fee to obtain the information.
He said the authorities did not specify the amount to be paid or the grounds for seeking the fee, though the information ought to have been provided free of cost under Section 4(1)(B) of the RTI Act.
DEO slapped with Rs 5K fine
After receiving no response to his appeal submitted to the DEO on August 2, Karthik approached the State Information Commission on September 3 and lodged a complaint over the demand for payment.
State Information Commissioner (SIC) Deshala Bhupal conducted an inquiry at the Nalgonda collectorate on Tuesday. During the hearing, SIC took exception to the failure to provide information, the use of English in response to a query concerning Telugu implementation, and the demand for a fee contrary to RTI rules. He imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on DEO B Bhikshapati for negligence of duty. The SIC directed that the amount be paid within two days, failing which the penalty would rise to Rs 25,000.
