After 5 yrs, blank sheets sent to RTI query
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In 2020, M Kasimayan of Ayappakkam filed a petition under the RTI Act seeking details of the implementation of the Jal Jeevan scheme in 14 panchayat unions in Tiruvallur district, as well as information on the public information officer concerned.
He received a reply from the PIO asking him to deposit 30 for providing copies of the reply which was more than 15 pages. The RTI Act allows PIO to collect 2 for each page of the reply.
Kasimayan drew a DD for 30, paid service charge of 54 and postal charges of 25.
The PIO, however, returned the DD and directed him to "make the payment under respective account head." Kasimayan filed a complaint petition before the Tamil Nadu Information Commission, seeking action against the PIO and a penalty for wilfully delaying the information.
After five years, the petition was listed for hearing on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, he received a sealed envelope from the PIO, containing 10 blank A4 sheets.
Kasimayan told information commissioner Priya Kumar on Wednesday that it is a serious violation under the RTI Act. The rural department officials will be asked to conduct an inquiry, he said.
While the contents of the order will be known only when it is uploaded on the information commission website, Kasimayan said that the information commissioner has powers to levy a penalty on the PIO, and direct the department to conduct an inquiry. "But he has disposed of the petition, so there is no way I can find out the outcome of the inquiry," he said.
On Wednesday, at the Commission office Kasimayan was given a copy of the information he sought five years ago. The public information officer Muthusundaram did not respond to calls about how blank A4 sheets were sent to the petitioner.
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