Food Dept Told To Pay Compensation Under RTI

The apex body under the Right To Information (RTI) Act has backed a woman made to wait for over three hours at the Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Department offices for information about her pending application for kerosene oil, before being told that the official concerned was on leave.

An aggrieved Dasharathi, a resident of Panchsheel Park, Delhi had then complained to the CIC on March 16, this year saying that both her time and Rs 100 in travel costs were wasted solely due to the callous manner of the officials. "Misbehaviour with applicants approaching public authorities under the RTI is not acceptable.

In this case, the Department will invite Dasharathi to identify the members of its staff who refused to provide her the information," Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah observed. The Central Information Commission CIC further said that the public authority will pay Rs 100 as damages to the complainant.

Dasharathi had approached the office of Nand Lal, Assistant Commissioner (South), Food and Civil Supplies Department, to enquire about the rationing of kerosene oil in her name. She was told to wait by the staffers as Lal was not in his cabin at the time. Three hours later, on enquiring again, she was unceremoniously told to come another day as he was on leave.