RTI: BMRCL officer asked to cough up Rs 25,000 penalty

The Karnataka Information Commission has enhanced - by five times - the penalty imposed on the public information officer of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).

In an order passed on July 11, the Commission, while increasing the penalty to Rs 25,000 (from the earlier Rs 5,000) directed U A Vasanth Kumar, the PIO, to appear before it on the next date of hearing and furnish photocopies of the challan for having remitted the penalty amount to the government. It also asked Sivasailam, the Managing Director of BMRCL to ensure that the information sought under RTI is furnished to the applicant.

The matter pertains to an RTI query by T Narasimha Murthy seeking information on procurement of sand by BMRCL for the ‘Namma Metro’ project. Murthy had sought the details on March 22, 2012. The PIO, in his reply on April 11, 2012 stated that sand is procured by the contractor and not the corporation. Not satisfied with the reply, Murthy filed an appeal, which went in vain. He then approached the Commission in second appeal.

The Commission, during the hearing on May 17 this year, directed the PIO to appear before it and furnish the information sought by the appellant within 30 days, through registered post acknowledgment due. It had also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the officer.

However, on July 11, the appellant submitted that he had not received any information. Noting that the PIO had failed to comply with its directions, the Commission enhanced the penalty to Rs 25,000. It said the penalty amount be deducted from the salary of the officer in five monthly instalments.