Case No.SA 46/2010 The Commission directed the Collector, Vellore to take immediate action and to send final replies to the petitioner for removal of encroachment on a plot

The Commission directed the Collector, Vellore to take immediate action and to send final replies to the petitioner for removal of encroachment on a plot, marking the boundaries of plot etc. It is clear that the query asked is what action has been taken on that and it was made in 2009 and even after a good two and half years the Taluk Office did made any attempt to send a reply but is happily sleeping and ignored the Collector’s order as they had ignored the original application for the taking action, asking the applicant to send an application. Who surveyed and submitted a report or not etc., are irrelevant under RTI. The fact is that action has not been taken on Collector’s order and the Collector should take note of the non-supply of that information under RTI is the issue on this action.
The Commission therefore directs the Collector, Vellore therefore directed:
(a) To obtain the personal explanation of the Public Information Officer concerned during this period in the Taluk Office for not having replied to the RTI petition well beyond 30 days permissible under the Act as to why maximum penalty as per the Act should become payable should not be levied and collected from the and departmental action that has become due should not be ordered;
(b) obtain the explanation of the Tahsildar concerned has refused to receive the appeal made under RTI and the envelope has been returned as per post office. In this how at all a letter addressed to the Taluk Officer can refused to be received and take such action as called for under the relevant Government rules and report the fact to the Commission within 4 weeks of this order.
(c) Take such action as may be called for against the officer concerned in the Taluk Office for not having carried out the Collector’s Order issued in January 2007 for three and half years as pointed out by the petitioner which is the subject matter of the RTI petitioner and how the follow up action on this reference was not taken by the concerned seat Assistant and get a report on this also from the Taluk Office and get all the action taken in this regard may also be marked to the Commission for its record.
(d) Ensure that the information asked for be supplied to the petitioner within two weeks of this order.
The Collector is made personally responsible for carrying out the above 4 orders.