RTI: ₹50,000 penalty imposed on four gram panchayat officials for delay in providing information

The Karnataka Information Commission’s Kalaburagi Bench has imposed a total penalty of ₹50,000 on one Gram Panchayat Development Officer and three Gram Panchayat Secretaries for failing to furnish information within the stipulated time under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.

State Information Commissioner B. Venkata Singh passed the order after hearing second appeals filed by an applicant who had not received the requested information in time. Despite directions issued under Section 18(3)(a) and (d) of the RTI Act, 2005, and a warning of penalty under Section 20(1), the officials failed to comply with the commission’s orders.

Accordingly, a penalty of ₹10,000 each was imposed on Yankanagouda, Secretary of Tadabidi Gram Panchayat in Wadagera taluk; Mallikarjun Nayak, Secretary of Gundagurthi Gram Panchayat; Ismail, Secretary of Saidapur Gram Panchayat in Yadgir taluk; and Shivakumar Doddamani, Panchayat Development Officer of Tadar Gram Panchayat in Harapanahalli taluk of Vijayanagara district.

In addition, Ismail was fined ₹10,000 each in two separate cases, amounting to ₹20,000. The commission also directed Yankanagouda to pay ₹3,000 as compensation to the appellant for the delay in providing information.

The penalties relate to five cases in total. The officials have been directed to remit the penalty amounts and appear before the commission at the next hearing, with a warning issued against further non-compliance.