EXPRESS IMPACT: Collector orders payment to RTI activist

By G Saravanan
Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on June 6, 2010:

CHENNAI: Responding to a private legal notice sent by an RTI activist, Natarajan to Chennai Collector for failing to implement the State Information Commission order, Chennai Collectorate finally fixed the responsibility on two former Mylapore-Triplicane Taluk officials and ordered them to pay Rs 5,000 as token compensation to the applicant immediately.

Collector V Shobana ordered recovery of Rs 2,500 (each) from G Gulam Geelani Papa, formerly Public Information Officer (PIO) and now Special Tahsildar (SSS) with PurasaiwalkamPerambur Taluk and T Bharani, formerly B1 Assistant and now with the Collector's Office to immediately disburse the amount to Natarajan.

The Collector even ordered the deduction of Rs 2,500 (each) from their June month salary, if the officials failed to pay the amount immediately and asked the concerned drawing officers to submit compliance report to her in this regard.

According to sources, Collector during the proceedings had rejected the explanations given by the officials that they were not aware of the Information Commission's reference and order asking the payment of Rs 5,000 compensation to R Natarajan.

In her detailed order, Shobana recorded that it has been clearly established after inspection of Taluk files that the Information Commission reference was well received in time, hence the duo, Gulam Geelani Papa and T Bharani are equally responsible for the lapse.

It may be noted that Express has carried a news item on May 31 on the inordinate delay by Chennai Collectorate in executing an order of Rs 5,000 as compensation to Natarajan.

With the Collector's order coming out, Natarajan might get his compensation of Rs 5,000 awarded some seven months ago in a petition on land details in the next few days.
Link for the previous story: http://andamansaravanan.blogspot.com/2010/06/chennai-collectorate-7-months-on-no.html