School board PIO fined Rs 25,000 for delaying info under RTI Act

Tribune News service

Chandigarh, August 8

The Punjab Information Commission has imposed a penalty of Rs 25,000 on Karan Jagdish Kaur, Joint Secretary, and Public Information Officer (PIO), Punjab School Education Board, for delaying information under the RTI Act for more than eight months.

The PSEB authorities have been directed to recover the amount from the officer’s salary in three instalments.

“The conduct of the respondent PIO has also compelled me to write to the higher authorities of the state government to take corrective steps to remove the mess prevailing in the PSEB,” Information Commissioner Chander Parkash observed in a communication to the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary, Education, and the PSEB Chairman.

Ashwani Kath of Bathinda had sought information regarding the action-taken report on a complaint sent by the Vigilance Bureau to the board. After failing to get any response from the PIO, the complainant moved the commission under Section 18 of the RTI Act.