Abohar (Face2News)
The Punjab State Information Commission has held the Public Information Officer in the Department of Local Government guilty of violation under Section 20 (1) as per provisions of Right to Information Act and has imposed a penalty of Rs 10,000 and Rs 5000 respectively in two Appeal cases that were filed by Ashok Watts, President of Retired Municipal Employees Welfare Association Abohar.
Watts, who spearheaded a campaign to expose a commercial property sale scam in the Municipal Council here, has been trying to seek information from the Local Bodies Department since August 17, 2021, regarding the alleged scams that came to fore in the sale of commercial plots in 2010 by MC near Nai Sadak here during the Akali BJP coalition rule. He sought to know how many retirement benefits were given by the government to Bhushan Singh Rana and Bhushan Garg who had served as executive officers (EOs) at the Abohar MC also.
He demanded copies of the no-due certificate reportedly issued to Rana by the Local Bodies Department. Senior IAS officer Ramesh Chandra Nayyar had indicted some former EOs in the inquiry report on alleged scams of lakhs of rupees.
The orders passed by the Chairman of the Commission said that hearing of both these cases was fixed on June 29, but the concerned PIO (Assistant Transport Officer) of the Local Bodies Department did not appear during the hearing. The erring official has been directed to pay the penalty and appear for next hearing on October 21.
