Dated 04-04-2007

Name of the Complainant:
Sri Suraj Naiding
Ex-Executive Member
N.C. Hills Autonomous Council
BPO Dibarai, Haflong, NC Hills District.

Name of the Public Authority:
PD, DRDA, NC Hills, Haflong

The following were present:
Shri H.P. Rajkumar
Project Director, DRDA, N.C. Hills, Haflong

The complainant absent. The P.D. DRDA, NC Hills, Haflong representing the Public Authority present.

Brief of the case

Sri Suraj Naiding submitted a petition on 1.3.07 before the Chief Information Commissioner which was received on 6.3.07 in which it was stated that although he applied for some information from the P.D. DRDA, NC Hills, Haflong on 16.12.06 accompanied by the application fees he did not receive the information. The following information relating to the scheme of Job Cards undertaken by the DRDA in NC Hills was sought for by the complainant

i) Specific name of the scheme above
ii) Total amount of the scheme released up-to-date by the government to the DRDA, NC Hills
iii) Total number of beneficiaries up-to-date in the N.C Hills
iv) Total amount of fund utilized so far in the scheme
v) Name of the villages with allotted amount of fund each in N.C. Hills
vi) Percentage of the progress of the works of up-to-date and total payment of bill disbursed so far in each village in NC hills etc. in detail.

Hence this case.

Submission of the parties

The P.D. DRDA, NC Hills, Haflong submitted before the Commission that the information sought for by the complainant was furnished to him on 24.1.07. However, relating to his quarry No – V the information being available in the Blocks was to be collected from the Blocks and on 2.4.07 the petitioner was given that information also.

Decision of the Commission

In view of the Assam bandh called by some organization the complainant was presumably not able to be present for the hearing and the Commission heard the P.D. DRDA, NC Hills, Haflong ex-parte.

On careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case and as the information although not complete was furnished first on 24.1.07 in part and the remaining was furnished on 2.4.07 the Commission accepted the apology tendered by the P.D. DRDA, NC Hills, Haflong for the delay with this warning that the Commission would be constrained to have recourse to the penal action as contemplated under section 20 (1) of the RTI Act if such delay occurs in future. The Commission also advised the PD, DRDA to bring it to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner, N.C. Hills who is holding the charge of Principal Secretary, N.C. Hills District Council to instruct all the officers of the district to ensure furnishing information sought for by the citizens within the time limit fixed by the Act so that the citizens do not have to come to the Commission for such representation / complaint which is an expensive and time consuming proposition.

Sd/- (R.S. Mooshahary)
Chief Information Commissioner, Assam
Janata Bhawan, Dispur.

Sd/-(Dr. B.K. Gohain)
State Information Commissioner, Assam
Janata Bhawan, Dispur.


Authenticated true copy

(Jiauddin Ahmed)
Secretary, State Information Commission, Assam
Janata Bhawan, Dispur.

CC:
1. The Deputy Commissioner, N.C. Hills, Haflong.
2. Shri H.P. Rajkumar Project Director, DRDA, N.C. Hills, Haflong
3. Sri Suraj Naiding Ex-Executive Member N.C. Hills Autonomous Council BPO Dibarai, Haflong NC Hills District.
4. MD, AMTRON, Bamunimaidan
5. Office file.


Secretary
State Information Commission, Assam