The state information commission has directed the civic body to conduct an inquiry on its officers, who did not provide an applicant the information that he had sought from the building and proposal department.
In its order dated June 24, the info panel has clubbed the Right to Information Act and the Government Servants Regulation of Transfers and Prevention of Delay in Discharge of Official Duties Act (Act 21 of 2006), more commonly known as right to services act, to press for action against the errant officials.
Investigation apart, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been asked to compensate the applicant, Ravindra Chiplunkar, with Rs 10,000 for the harassment meted out to him while he was seeking the information.
Chiplunkar had sought details on an erstwhile pond spread over 6,000 sq mtrs – slightly bigger than a football field – in Eksar Road, Borivili (west) that was filled up. “The space was encroached upon in 2003. I got to know about it in 2012-13. There was construction made on it around that time,” alleged Chiplunkar.
In his application, the applicant had sought details of the circular from urban development department regarding the place, notification about change the reservation of the plot, whether the civic chief had the authority to do this and the procedures that need to be followed for the same along with action taken on his complaints.
“I was told that the reservation of the plot was changed by none other than the municipal commissioner. But whether a commissioner can do so and under what rules is what I wanted to know. A number of times we see that plots are given away to developers and the government is robbed of its revenue. My intention is to ensure that the government gets the revenue that belongs to it,” claimed Chiplunkar, who works as a decorator.
While the public information officer (PIO) did not give a satisfactory reply, the applicant did not get any convincing information at the first appeal stage too. This prompted Chiplunkar to file a second appeal with the state information commission.
The order, signed by the info panel chief Ratnakar Gaikwad, states that the PIO seems to have not given replies and hence flouted the RTI Act. It also holds civic officials guilty under the right to services act.
The commission has now ordered the BMC to provide the required information by July 15. If information is not available against certain queries, the civic body should state the same in as many words, reads the order.
Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte was unavailable for comment.
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