The Tamil Nadu Information Commission (TNIC) has come down heavily on the Public Information Officer (PIO), Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC), for not sharing information sought by a petitioner under the Right to Information Act, 2005.
The case pertains to a petition filed by M. Senthil Kumar of Salem, who sought a copy of the list of provisionally selected candidates and the marks obtained in the written exams by those who were not selected for admission to oral test in the appointment of Motor Vehicles Inspector (Grade-II) in the Tamil Nadu Transport Subordinate Service in 2011-12.
In two other petitions, filed under the Act, he sought the details of the Educational/Technical qualification of 226 candidates who were provisionally selected for oral test and letter copies of appointment orders sent to the selected candidates in 2013-18. Since he did not receive a proper reply from the PIO, for all the petitions, Mr. Kumar appealed before the TNIC, following which the Commission directed the public authority to send a detailed reply to him.
As the PIO did not comply with the order, State Information Commissioner R. Priyakumar took up the case for inquiry. Pointing out that no information was shared with the Commission nor the petitioner, he said that the PIO’s action amounted to disregard for the RTI Act and the Commission’s order.
Passing orders after hearing both sides, Mr. Priyakumar sought an explanation from the then PIO as to why the maximum penalty of ₹25,000 under Section 20(1) should not be slapped and disciplinary action under Section 20(2) of the Act should not be taken against him.
He also directed the authorities to share the entire information sought by the petitioner within seven days from the date of the order, and report compliance to the Commission.
