Gurgaon Public Information Officer pulled up

Haryana’s State Information Commissioner (SIC) Yogendra Paul Gupta issued a show-cause notice to Paramjeet Kaur, Gurgaon’s Public Information Officer-cum- deputy District Education Officer for not replying to an RTI query filed by Sudhir Yadav, an activist. The RTI was filed in 2015 questioning the fee structure of all the recognised schools in Gurgaon.

Yadav, a resident of Farukhnagar, had filed the RTI request on May 18, 2015 asking for information regarding Form Six (school fee structure) of all recognised schools in Gurgaon. On September 18, the SIC issued notice to both parties for hearing under Section 18(2) of the RTI Act. A clerk, Sandeep Kumar, had appeared on behalf of Paramjeet Kaur before the judge at a hearing on February 8, 2016 and said that the information was provided against the RTI request on January 13, 2016.

However, Yadav said that the information provided was too little and too late and requested the SIC to impose a penalty on the officer. Sources also revealed that Yadav had met Paramjeet Kaur regarding this matter in her Gurgaon office and reminded her that the RTI request was still pending.

“I also filed a first appeal to District Education Officer Manoj Kaushik asking for help to get the information but after all efforts, when it looked that I won’t get the information, I complained to the SIC on June 26, 2015 asking him to impose the highest possible penalty on Kaur,” said Yadav.

Gupta, in a show-cause notice to Kaur, said that a penalty up to Rs 25,000 may be imposed on her and directed her to be present in his office on April 5, 2016 for hearing.