Failure to provide information: Keralam Survey Director ordered to pay ₹1 lakh compensation
The Kerala State Information Commission has ordered a senior official to pay compensation after a Public Information Officer provided false information in response to an RTI application. The ruling follows a long-standing legal battle initiated by an applicant seeking to inspect property records.
Why it matters
This case underscores the enforcement of transparency laws and the accountability of government officials in providing accurate information to citizens.
The Keralam State Information Commission has ordered the Director of the Department of Survey and Land Records, Dr. J.O. Arun, to pay ₹1 lakh in compensation after the Public Information Officer gave a false and misleading reply to an individual who had sought information through an RTI (Right to Information) application.
The Chief Information Commissioner V. Hari Nair , in an order dated August 19, has directed P. Vishwambharan, the former Survey Superintendent at Kollam Collectorate and the then Public Information Officer, to pay a fine of ₹20,000.
The origins of the case are from an application filed under the RTI Act by the applicant Kurien George in 2013, with the Directorate of Survey and Land Records.
The application sought the right to personally inspect the relevant file at the Kollam Survey Superintendent’s office regarding the extent or the area of the applicant’s property.
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