LAHORE: The Punjab Information Commission has directed an irrigation department executive engineer (EXEN) to pay a fine equivalent to his two-month salary after his failure to provide information requested by a citizen for over eight months, also seeking disciplinary action against him.

The commission directed theFaisalabad district accounts ofñcer to deduct the fine from the salary of the official and deposit it to the account head for obtaining information and copies of public record, and furnish a compliance report by Feb 15, 2017.

Another direction is to forward a copy of the order to the irrigation secretary for appropriate disciplinary action against the official.

The complainant, Muhammad Shañq of Baghbanpura, had approached the commission to seek direction for EXEN Saleem Bhatti asking him to share information which he had earlier allegedly denied. The information was about the main cash book, details of the cheques issued, logbook, tender reg-ister, newspaper advertisements, stock register, work charge roll, auction of civil works and bills related to the repair of tube wells and machinery.

The commission has observed that it is evident from the proceedings of the complaint and perusal of the record that the respondent (EXEN) failed to either provide the requested information to the complainant or transfer the application to the relevant PIO in accordance with the relevant act.

The respondent did not transfer the application to the PIO (if he himself was not a PIO) and instead dealt with the application but failed to provide the requested information to the complainant, despite a lapseof over a year since the application was first filed.

He also ignored commission`s letters and laterfurnished unsatisfactory, false responses, including, for instance, his letter wherein he falsely stated that the record required by the complainant had been handed over to him. He failed to provide any satisfactory explanation to the show cause notices. He submitted a written apology during one hearing but failed to turn up in the next hearing. The overall perusal of the record makes it amply clear that he has been acting with mala fide with the aim of delaying or obstructing access to information, the commission has observed.