Public Information Officers Must Mention Name, Designation, and Place of Posting While Corresponding

Public Information Officers must respond to the Information Commission’s notice within 30 days

Raipur : The Commissioner of the State Information Commission has stated that during commission hearings, an authorization letter from the then/current Public Information Officer (PIO) will be accepted for representation. Any response submitted by such a representative will be considered as the reply of the then/current PIO. In the absence of an authorization letter, the presence of the representative will not be accepted.

The Chhattisgarh State Information Commission has directed all then/current PIOs to clearly mention the case number, year, date of hearing, along with their name, designation, and place of posting while corresponding with the Commission.

The Commission has also instructed all public authorities (office heads) to ensure that their then/current PIOs respond to the second appeal notices issued by the Commission within 30 days of receiving the first information letter. The reply should be point-wise and supported with documents, and must be sent via registered post. The name and designation of the then/current PIO should be clearly mentioned in the response.

The Commission also emphasized that the names, designations, tenure, and current posting locations of the then/current PIOs must be provided to the Commission.

The Commission further directed that the then/current PIOs must appear in the hearing along with all relevant records and case files. In case they are unable to attend the hearing on the scheduled date of the second appeal due to unavoidable reasons, they should send a representative who is fully informed about the case and can present a complete reply with all supporting documents before the Commission.

The Commission expressed concern that delays in hearings are being caused due to non-receipt of responses from then/current PIOs to notices issued under the Right to Information Act, 2005. If responses are not received by registered post prior to the hearing and these instructions are not followed, penalties and disciplinary action may be taken under Sections 20(1) and 20(2) of the RTI Act, 2005, as well as in accordance with government guidelines issued from time to time.