Shut in 1996,co-op society still got ration for poor

Hans Raj inspected the records in the office of the Cooperative Agricultural Service Society,Jarg,and found certain documents missing.

However,later,Inderpal Singh,liquidator of the society,told the commission that the missing cash books were available in his office,and could be inspected at any time.

On perusal of the records put up by the respondent and the complainant,State Information Commissioner Surinder Singh found that the Jarg society was shut in August 1996,but on April 25,2006,2.45 quintals of wheat for seven BPL card-holders and 8.40 quintals under Antodaya Scheme for 24 beneficiaries were allotted to it. The information was tallied with data culled from the Department of Food and Supplies.

The SIC sent a copy of the documents to the Deputy Registrar,Cooperative Societies,Ludhiana,and asked him how the wheat was received by the society that was shut more than a decade ago and who had distributed it. Inderpal Singh was asked to come to the commission on the next date of hearing with all the records.

The complainant had filed the RTI application on April 24,but as information had not been supplied till date,the SIC served a show-cause notice for penalty on Gurdit Singh,Assistant Registrar,Cooperative Societies,Payal,and Gurcharan Singh,Deputy Registrar,Cooperative Societies,Ludhiana. They were also directed to show cause why compensation should not be awarded to the complainant for the loss suffered by him on account of delay in supply of information. They were directed to file the reply within 15 days of the receipt of the order.