Bailable warrants against Horticulture Dept SPIO

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, April 11

State Information Commissioner Major-Gen JS Kundu (retd) has issued bailable warrants against the State Public Information Officer (SPIO) of the Horticulture Department. He has directed the Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula, to serve the warrants on the SPIO to ensure his presence before the commission.

The warrants come in the wake of the SPIO’s reported failure to provide information sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by a Rohtak-based activist and respond to a show cause notice issued by the State Information Commission (SIC).

Subhash, state coordinator of the Haryana Soochna Adhikar Manch, had sought information on 10 points regarding the management of poly-houses in the state from the SPIO at the Directorate of Horticulture, Haryana.

The Department of Posts returned the RTI application as the office of the SPIO, Horticulture, refused to accept it. Thereafter, Subhash made a complaint to the SIC under Section 18 (2) of the RTI Act, 2005.

The matter came up for hearing before the commission on the ground that the SPIO had failed to furnish the requisite information within the stipulated time. He also failed to appear before the commission for hearing in the case on February 9, 2017, without any intimation. Moreover, he did not file his comments on the notice issued by the commission on January 13, 2017.

The commission had issued a show cause notice to the SPIO on February 22 and directed him to reply to it by March 15. He was also directed to be personally present at the next hearing in the case on March 30.

However, the SPIO did not file his reply to the show cause notice nor did he appear before the commission on March 30, following which bailable warrants were issued.