Mumbai
Suresh Joshi has fined the PIO/deputy registrar of the co-operative department Rs5,000 for failing to give information sought under Maharashtra Right to Information Act.
Updated : Nov 19, 2013, 11:17 PM IST
Public information officer has to pay Rs5,000 penalty
MUMBAI: Chief information commissioner Suresh Joshi has fined the Public Information Officer(PIO)/deputy registrar of the co-operative department Rs5,000 for failing to give information sought under the Maharashtra Right to Information Act.
The application was filed by Sunil Godbole, a resident of the Glittering Star Co-operative housing society at Worli, seeking to know whether members of the managing committee of his housing society had submitted indemnity bonds. However, the PIO failed to provide this information for a year despite an order by the appellate authority.
RTI activists feel that the order is significant because managing committee members of thousands of societies in the city do not submit indemnity bonds.
As per the model byelaws and a Bombay High Court ruling in 2002, members of the managing committee of a housing society have to submit indemnity bonds of being legally and financially responsible of the society’s working within 30 days of their appointment with the registrar.
Kewal Semlani, an RTI activist, said that there are instances of society members allegedly submitting indemnity bonds on forged stamp papers. “The fine will at least make co-operative registrars and society members think twice before indulging in corrupt practices,’’ Semlani said.
The issue arose last year when Godbole complained to the deputy registrar. He said that his society, in contravention to the bylaws, had called an urgent general body meeting to get the residents’ sanction for carrying out building repair works.
Dissatisfied with the PIO’s reply, Godbole filed an appeal after which the appellate authority directed that the PIO should give information.
Incidentally, even as the appeal was being heard, the managing committee prematurely terminated their tenure and called for fresh elections in May 2007 without even giving the three months’ notice period as stipulated. “The registrar took no action though this was part of my appeal,’’ Godbole said.