State Information Commission slaps fine of Rs.15,000 on Officer: To be deducted from her salary

Mandya: Former Maddur Tahsildar Geetha, who is currently serving as the Tahsildar of Hosakote, has been fined Rs.15,000 by the Information Commission for failing to provide information under Right To Information   (RTI) Act.

Details: On June 27, 2007, one N. Shivaramu had submitted an application seeking a duplicate copy of the Tilling Certificate to one acre 11 gunta land allotted to Devegowda, son of Kenchegowda of Maarasinganahalli in Survey No.125/C.

The Tahsildar, who was also the Public Information Officer, did not provide the information even after two-and-a-half years, following which Shivaramu approached the State Information Commission and                                          filed a petition.

An enquiry was conducted at the Commission and Information Commissioner S.S. Patil had ordered the Tahsildar to provide information to the applicant. 

But enquires were conducted continuously and the Tahsildar was asked to be present in person before the Commission.

But the Tahsildar did not appear before the Commission and did not even provide any valid reasons for being absent.

Information Commissioner S.S. Patil, who took the issue seriously, imposed a fine of Rs.15,000 on Tahsildar Geetha besides ordering the fine amount to be deducted from her salary in three instalments of Rs.5,000 a month and deposit the same to the Government Treasury.