Date:25/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/25/stories/2008082552020300.htm

Other States - Orissa

RTI violations: higher officials escape penalty

Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR: Recovery of penalty from public servants who are convicted for not providing information under the Right to Information Act has been dismal in the State.

According to the State Information Commission, penalty has been imposed on 89 Government employees who are responsible for non-supply of information in time. According to information, penalty has been recovered from 32 employees.

As many as 15 Government workers have moved the High Court and got interim stay on the imposition of penalty by SIC .

While the total penalty amount was estimated to be Rs. 8.66 lakh, Government employees paid Rs. 2.54 lakh towards fine.

The recovery constitutes only 29 per cent.

“If you look at the profile of the Government employees who have been fined, you will find that most of them belong to lower cadres. This suggests that higher officials are yet to be held responsible for not supplying information,” said Biswapriya Kanungo, a RTI activist.

There were section officers, a diarist, dealing assistants and senior assistants who were convicted in the violation of the RTI Act, he said.