Shimla MC’s PIO faces action for not providing information on Shimla Yellow Line Parking Lots
Shimla, September 27: The State Information Commission, while hearing the petition of complainant Chaman Gupta on not providing the information sought under RTI on September 12, has said that the Shimla Municipal Corporation should provide complete information regarding Shimla Yellow Line Parking Lots to the complainant within two weeks from the hearing date. Not only this, the State Information Commission has issued a show cause notice to the Public Information Officer (PIO) of Shimla Municipal Corporation, and has also issued orders to release the compensation amount of Rs. 5000/- to the complainant Chaman Gupta with immediate effect.
Shimla, September 27:
The State Information Commission, while hearing the petition of complainant Chaman Gupta on not providing the information sought under RTI on September 12, has said that the Shimla Municipal Corporation should provide complete information regarding Shimla Yellow Line Parking Lots to the complainant within two weeks from the hearing date. Not only this, the State Information Commission has issued a show cause notice to the Public Information Officer (PIO) of Shimla Municipal Corporation, and has also issued orders to release the compensation amount of Rs. 5000/- to the complainant Chaman Gupta with immediate effect.
Shimla Municipal Corporation had started Shimla Yellow Line parking facility to solve the parking related problems in Himachal Pradesh’s capital Shimla. Despite several tender processes from the beginning, no contractor showed any interest in the maintenance and operation of Shimla Yellow Line parking facility, due to which Shimla Municipal Corporation itself started the Yellow Line parking facility on ‘first come, first served’ basis, but now a case of great negligence in providing correct information regarding parking to the general public has come to light.
Recently, in one such case, the State Information Commission has issued a show cause notice to the Public Information Officer of Shimla Municipal Corporation for not providing information related to parking in the capital and sought a reply.
The State Information Commission has asked the Public Information Officer in the notice “why a fine of Rs 25,000 should not be imposed on him for the delay in providing information”. Apart from this, the State Information Commission has also ordered to give compensation of five thousand rupees to the person seeking information.
According to the information, on October 14, 2022, Chaman Gupta, a local resident of Himland, Shimla, had sought information under RTI from the Municipal Corporation regarding the Shimla Yellow Line Parking Policy made for the city residents. The Public information officer of Shimla Municipal Corporation kept the information sought under RTI hanging for one year and nine months by delaying it. The complainant applied to the First Appellate Authority on 25 December 2022, but here also information was not given about Shimla Yellow Line Parking Policy.
After not getting the information sought under RTI, complainant Chaman Gupta decided to knock the door of the State Information Commission, complainant Chaman Gupta appealed to the State Information Commission on 25 February 2023.
Let us tell you that an application was made by the Gupta family to get parking in the Yellow Line, but they were being kept hanging for some reason or the other. Neither has the Gupta family been provided the facility of Shimla Yellow Line Parking till date. Due to which the Gupta family had also sought information about road side Yellow Line parking from Dhali via Malyana, Panthaghati-Tutikandi.
The Gupta family had tried to know several times from the Shimla Municipal Corporation’s Public Information Officer whether this road has been marked for parking or not. Information was also sought about how many road side parkings have been marked and what is its fee. When the information was not received, the Gupta family had to knock the door of the State Information Commission.
The petition was filed by advocate Anil Saraswati, who is pleading the Shimla Yellow Line Parking case on behalf of complainant Chaman Gupta. In the information provided by complainant Chaman Gupta and the interim order issued by the State Information Commission, it was said that Shimla Municipal Corporation has failed to provide the information sought regarding Shimla Yellow Line Parking even after one year and 9 months.
State Information Commission has also clearly stated in the order that Shimla Municipal Corporation is continuously being negligent in providing this information related to public interest.
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