Is the First Appellate Authority liable for disciplinary action under RTI?
13 Jul, 2012
The order of State Information Commission (SIC) recommending disciplinary action against the principal of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College of Engineering and Technology (SBSCET) for non-compliance of provisions of Right to Information (RTI) Act has been stayed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Earlier, the SIC had recommended to Principal Secretary, Technical Education and Industrial Training, to initiate disciplinary proceedings against T S Sidhu, Principal of SBSCET, Ferozepur, holding him responsible for the delay in providing the information to the applicant by 11 months.
The SIC had held that "It appears that even the PIOs were made to act as instructed by the principal, and they cannot be held responsible for the delay." Mr. Sidhu filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court pleading that SIC could not recommend action against first appellate authority. Justice Rajesh Bindal stayed the impugned SIC order and fixing the next hearing for October 18, 2012.