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| SIC issues show cause notice to CMO Rajouri | | Information denied on flimsy grounds | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 23: The State Information Commission (SIC) has asked the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Rajouri to show cause why penalty under the Right to Information Act may not be imposed upon him for denying information to an information seeker.
The CMO Dr. Chaman Bhasin had denied information sought by a candidate who was not selected for the post of Female Multi Purpose Health Worker (FMPHW). The reason given by the CMO for denying the information was that the application fee of Rs 10, which was deposited in the shape of Indian Postal Order (IPO), had been addressed to the Accounts Officer when there was no post of Accounts Officer in the CMO's office.
Palvi Sharma, of Indira Nagar, R. S. Pura, had filed the RTI application on May 16 before the CMO/ Vice-Chairman, District Health Society (NHM), Rajouri.
Palvi had sought certain information relating to notification No. CMO/NHM/ Advt/R/2014-15/2863-70 dated 03.03.2015 for filling up 91 posts of FMPHW.
She said she was called for interview as she had successfully qualified the screening test/written test, and that her name was dropped from the final selection list. The PIO (CMO Rajouri) had on June 15 informed Palvi that the fee deposited by her in the shape of IPO payable to the Accounts Officer was not acceptable.
The CMO informed her that it should be addressed to CMO Rajouri. Hence, the desired information was denied to Palvi and her RTI application was rejected.
Palvi later approached the SIC, which listed the matter for hearing on August 27 and September 10. On both dates, the CMO remained absent in-spite of the fact that notices were dispatched to him, informing the dates of hearing in advance. The office of the Commission contacted the CMO telephonically and he expressed his ignorance about the above said notices and took the plea that the notices were not delivered to him or to his office by the postal authorities."
Later, in its order, the SIC said: "…it appears that the (CMO is ignorant of the J&K Right to Information Rules, 2012 framed under the J&K RTI Act, 2009 which clearly stipulate that the fee is to be paid to the Accounts Officer of the concerned public authority, and the complainant has rightly drawn the postal order in favour of Accounts Officer, office of the CMO, Rajouri. The photocopy of the said postal order bearing No. 21F 742424 dated 09.05.2015 has been brought on record for reference."
The SIC order further read: "Even if there is no post of Accounts Officer in a public authority, the IPO can be given to another official who deals with accounts, but a PIO cannot deny information to an RTI applicant on this ground that there is no Accounts Officer's post so the information cannot be provided. "…the CMO is hereby directed to show cause why penalty under Section 17 of J&K RTI Act, 2009 may not be imposed upon him for denying the information to the information seeker within two weeks from the date of receipt of this order.
The CMO is further directed to dispose of the RTI application of the complainant/ information seeker within one week." |
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