Dispatch clerk on leave is a sufficient cause for delay under RTI

Background

The Commission had directed the PIO to explain why penalty should not be imposed for delay in providing the information in its order dated 9th March 2012.

View of CIC

The respondents explained that the letter signed by the CPIO was posted 11 days later as the dispatch clerk was on leave at the relevant time and, the letter remained in his desk until he returned. The Central Information Commission held that the Public Information Officer (PIO) cannot be held responsible for the late dispatch of the letter by the dispatch clerk and the fact of the dispatch clerk being on leave during the period can not be ignored. Therefore, the Commission didn’t impose any penalty.

Citation: Mr. Ashok Saxena v. Union Bank of India in File No. CIC/SM/A/2011/002417