In a first,Bihars State Information Commission has asked the Home department to produce before it a defiant Block Development Officer,who has failed to respond to as many as nine summons sent over two years. The SIC has been hearing the case of a BDO,who,despite being the designated public information officer,has not replied to a query by an applicant on why and how many times Dharhara block administration engaged JCB machines under the MNREGA,which otherwise allows only manual labour. With Munger DM not cooperating with the information panel by ensuring the BDOs production,the SIC has written to Principal Secretary,Home. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar holds the Home portfolio. In its order on Monday,the SIC asked the Home department to help produce Dharhara BDO in the next hearing on November 29. We have been waiting for the DMs reply for the past 10 months on whether he has deducted Rs 25,000 (fine imposed on the BDO for denying information under RTI) from the BDOs salary, said State Information Commissioner Farzand Ahmed. It was a classic tale of two district officials one indifferent,the other defiant and trapped in between is the citizens basic right to know. About 10 months ago,the SIC had ordered the DM to issue a warrant against the BDO and order his production before the Commission. But the SIC got no compliance report from the DM. The BDO neither provided information to petitioner Mahendra Prasad Sah nor appeared before the Commission during the past nine hearings.
