TDs who do not provide information to the applicant will be fined Rs 2,000 A fine of Rs 2 thousand on TDs who do not provide information to the applicant

Ajardar, a resident of Chikhodara village in Anand taluka, sought information under the Information Act from the Gram Panchayat in 2022. Talati replied that the record was not available, Ajardar sought information from the Taluka Development Officer. The TDO did not provide any information in the first appeal so the matter went to the Information Commission. So, the Commission imposed a fine of Rs 2 thousand on Taluka Development Officer Anand for not providing the information within the time limit.

Vijaybhai Lallubhai Makwana, who lives in Chikhodara of the taluka, approached the Talati Com Minister of Gram Panchayat Chikhodara. Information sought on 2nd September 2022. However, since this information was not available on the records of the office, Talati sent nil reply. Against this reply the petitioner first appealed to the Taluk Development Officer, Anand seeking information. Although some of the information sought by the petitioner pertained to the Taluka Development Officer and was available on the Taluka Panchayat website, the TDO did not inform the petitioner about the same.

Regarding the first appeal of the petitioner, on 4th October Talati cum Minister, Chikhodaran ordered to furnish the inquiry report and sufficient information to the petitioner within 15 days free of charge. During this, the applicant appealed to the Information Commission. In the hearing of which, the Commission questioned why Anand TDO MB Chawda had obstructed the provision of information to the applicant and violated the provisions of RTI, why legal action should not be taken against him. However, the TDs could not give a satisfactory answer to the Commission regarding this.

Therefore, in the final hearing, the Information Commission asked Taluka Panchayat Office, Anand and Talati Com Minister Chikhodara to provide the information requested by the applicant free of cost on 15th day and Taluka Development Officer M.B. According to the provisions of the Right to Information Act, Chavda was paid Rs. 22000 fine has been ordered to be paid from their own funds. Further, TDO by DDO. The fine amount was paid from Chavda. The commission has been ordered to send the report by 31st July, 2023.