Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 15: Initiating penalty proceedings against the Public Information Officer (PIO) for not furnishing the true and required disclosures, the Chief Information Commission in a significant observation has reprimanded the information seeker for not applying before the First Appellate Authority for obtaining information.
The CIC observations have come on a complaint filed by Rameshwar Singh Jamwal against Deputy Secretary cum PIO Higher Education Department.
The complainant had filed an RTI application before the PIO on December 15, 2012 seeking information on mode of appointment of one Dr Rajinder Sharma, Lecturer Botany, presently posted in GGM Science College and his tenure in Jammu.
Even as then PIO Subash Chander Chibber furnished the information on January 9, 2013, though incomplete, the information seeker who is an advocate in J&K high Court with more than 23 years standing at the bar, straightway rushed to the Commission without approaching the First Appellate Authority (FAA).
Giving reference of the Supreme Court observation that institution of FAA should not be rendered redundant, the CIC in its order said that the information seeker should necessarily approach the FAA.
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