Kerala State Information Commissioner K.M. Dilip has said that stern action will be taken against government officials who consistently violate the commission’s orders and directives.
Speaking after a sitting in Kottayam on Thursday, the Commissioner said that disciplinary action would be recommended against officials who failed to provide information timely under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and who avoided attending hearings despite directions.
Decisions delayed
Under the RTI Act, officials concerned should appear before the Commission when decisions were to be made on second round of appeals filed by citizens. However, the commission had noted instances where some officials cited frivolous reasons to delay decisions by not attending hearings.
Out of the 32 cases reviewed during the sitting, 27 were disposed of. The appeals considered by the commission pertained to RTI applications linked to Departments of Local Self-Government, Mining and Geology, Home, Cooperation and Health and Mahatma Gandhi University.
