CIC asks SSP (UT) to issue bailable warrant since PIO did not appear before the panel Punjab Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) RI Singh has got bailable warrant issued against Sohan Lal Bhumak,Deputy Director-cum-Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare,Punjab for the directorates consistent failure to comply with the provisions of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. In the letter written to UT Senior Superintendent of Police,the CIC has stated that the PIO did not appear before the commission,despite repeated summons regarding a case. The commission has directed the SSP to serve the bailable warrant on Bhumak to appear before the CIC on May 8 and produce the information sought by RTI applicant Piara Singh of Dasuya. On January 18,the court had imposed a penalty on Dr Rakesh Gupta,currently posted as civil surgeon,Ropar,for not supplying information to Piara Singh. Gupta was the PIO of the directorate when the order was issued. A copy of the order had also been sent to the Punjab Secretary (Health and Family Welfare),seeking his intervention to issue instructions to the directorate to comply with the orders of the commission. The case had first come up for hearing in August 2011,when the commission had directed PIO Dr Gupta to provide information to the applicant and also to be present on the next date of hearing. When no one appeared on his behalf,a notice was issued to Dr Gupta to show cause why a penalty should not be imposed on him. Again on the next date of hearing,no one appeared on his behalf. Following this,a penalty of Rs 5,000 was imposed on Dr Gupta,and he was directed to give information to the applicant. On the next hearing,Jatinder Dhawan,a senior assistant,appeared on behalf of the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare,and claimed ignorance about the earlier orders passed by the commission. Such claims of ignorance had been made by the directorate earlier too. In this regard,the information commission had observed that the directorate was lying. It had asked the directorate to desist from making misleading and erroneous statements before the commission. Despite specific orders issued by the commission,Dr Gupta did not deposit the penalty imposed on him. In the order given on March 20,the CIC observed that since nobody appeared on behalf of the directorate during the hearing,bailable warrants were issued against the PIO to appear in person and produce the relevant record. A copy of the order has also been sent to Dr Gupta to ensure compliance of the earlier order imposing a penalty,failing which penal action may be initiated against him,the commission has said
