Nearly half of Haryana's information officers fail to pay RTI penalties: Data
Over the past 18 years, 48.6% of information officers in Haryana have failed to deposit fines imposed on them by the Haryana State Information Commission. This data, procured under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, reveals that these penalties were levied on officers for failing to provide complete information within the stipulated time.
Responding to a query by Haryana Soochna Adhikar Manch convener Subhash, the commission disclosed that 4,043 information officials had been fined in this period. The total penalty imposed on them amounts to Rs. 5.9 crore, of which Rs. 2.84 crore has been recovered. However, 1,965 officials are yet to pay their fines, leaving over Rs. 3 crore unpaid.
RTI activist Subhash, who founded the Haryana Soochna Adhikar Manch in 2007, has emphasised the need for strict action against officials who withhold information and later fail to deposit fines. Another activist, P P Kapoor, previously approached the Lokayukta demanding action against defaulting officers. He also urged the anti-corruption ombudsman to direct the government to recover fines with interest. Kapoor told The Indian Express that hearings on the matter were nearing completion, and he expected a ruling soon. He has suggested that retirement benefits should be withheld from officers who fail to clear penalties before superannuation.
Former State Information Commissioner Hemant Atri has consistently pushed for a mechanism to ensure compliance with commission orders. He advocates for strict action against State Public Information Officers (SPIOs) who ignore hearings and fail to implement directives. Atri explained that, during his tenure, he held First Appellate Authorities (FAAs) accountable for enforcing his orders. He emphasised that drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs) and FAAs should be responsible for ensuring penalty payments, warning that failure to comply could result in action under Section 20(2) of the RTI Act, 2005.
A senior Haryana government official told The Indian Express that the administration would soon issue instructions directing SPIOs to deposit their fines with the state exchequer.
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