RTI exposes SPIO's misinformation

Imphal, Jan 14 : A SPIO under the RTI Act, 2005 in Manipur is likely to face a major penalty if he could not explain why he is not providing corrected and complete information to a member of the gram panchayat seeking list of the beneficiaries under the Central Sponsored IAY scheme in her village.

The Chief Information Commissioner, Manipur Information Commission has served show cause notice to the SPIO who is a block development officer in Imphal west to explain why he is furnishing "incorrect, incomplete and misleading" information on the list of the beneficiaries under Indira Awaj Yojna (IAY) and development works taken up in a village to the applicant seeking under the Right to Information Act, 2005, official of the Commission said Tuesday.

The State Chief Information Commissioner, Manipur RK Angousana served the show cause notice on Tuesday giving the SPIO a week time from the date of issue of the order to explain why he is providing incorrect, incomplete and misleading information defying the order to commission.

He should explained "why disciplinary action leading to a major penalty should not be recommended, against him under appropriate service rules governing him for his furnishing incorrect, incomplete and misleading information to the applicant, under section 20 of the RTI Act, 2005," the order said.

The case was related with a complaint lodged by one N Memi Devi of Sagolband Tera Loukrakpam Leikai, Imphal, a member of the gram panchayat to the Manipur Information Commission stating that Imphal west-1 Haorangsabal, Lamsang SPIO has provided incorrect and incomplete information on the beneficiaries under IAY are not resident or voters of Bijoy Govinda Gram Panchayat and taken up of a repairing works of a convert.

The petitioner supported her allegation to the SPIO by electoral role 2007 of the panchayat and the Commission in a hearing on the petition on September 15 last year had also observed that the information of the SPIO was tempered, misleading and incorrect.

The commission also in favour of the allegation of the petitioner (panchayat member) providing wrong information that a convert at Khuraijam Leirak for which a sum of Rs 23,300 has been earmarked, has never been repaired and also Rs, 65,500 for street lighting and 56 quintals of rice which is the component of the IAY for the village is unknown to the panchayat members.

The SPIO's information of holding a meeting of the Bijoy Govinda Gram Panchayat on 6/5/2008 in the information furnished to the petition was also incorrect.

During the course of hearing the information relating to the IAY has been corrected by the SPIO and his subordinates, however the information relating to the utilization of rice, reparinig of convert and holding of gram panchayat meeting could not be explained fully, the order of the Chief Information Commissioner which concluded that the SPIO has "knowingly given incorrect, incomplete or misleading information in this case".

The BDO, Imphal west CD block-1 Haorangsabal has been submitting and misleading information throughout the proceeding of the case, through the director, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Manipur who is SPIO.

The BDO could not provide correct information, the order of the Chief Information Commission.