SIC issues notice to Corporation officials on bus route roads

The State Information Commissioner G Murugan has directed the executive engineer (Bus Route Roads) of the Greater Chennai Corporation and public information officer (PIO) M Victor Gnanaraj to respond to the notice within 15 days.

The PIO was asked to explain why the Commission should not impose a penalty of Rs 25,000 and direct his superiors to take departmental action against him for failing tofurnish information.

Also, the notice has sought a response from superintendent engineer and the RTI appellate officer, K Vijayakumar, for failing to provide information even after an appeal.

Jayaram Venkatesan of Arappor Iyakkam had filed an RTI application seeking information pertaining to laying of bus route roads, in July 2018. But public information officer Victor had provided only partial information, and reportedly refused to furnish answers to all the queries raised in theRTI petition.

Following this, Jayaram filed an appeal with Vijayakumar in November 2018. However, the appellate office, too, failed to provide information. The Commission had directed to provide information to Jayaram Venkatesan as per the Act, but Victor and Vijayakumar refused to follow the direction.