UP Information Commission issues arrest warrant as power department ‘ignored’ RTI query on 1911 connection

The Uttar Pradesh Information Commission has issued arrest warrants against four power department officials for ignoring RTI queries regarding a bill of Rs 2.24 lakh issued in 1911 and also violating the panel’s summons, officials said.

Arrest warrants were recently issued against Superintendent Engineer Anil Verma, Executive Engineer RK Gautam, Divisional Officer Sarvesh Yadav and Divisional Officer Ravi Anand.

State Information Commissioner Ajaya Kumar Uprety said the warrant was issued under Section 18 (3) of the Right to Information Act and powers conferred by the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.

“This is the first time that the UP State Information Commission has taken such stringent punitive action against erring officials since the RTI Act, 2005, came into force,” State Information Commissioner Ajaya Kumar Uprety told PTI.

Uprety has asked Kashi district deputy commissioner of police Pramod Kumar to summon the officials before the commission on February 20, when the case will be heard in Lucknow. He also asked him to inform the Committee on the execution of the warrant.

The case relates to the connection of electricity on January 1, 1911, in Kazakpura area of ​​Varanasi against a consumer Uma Shankar Yadav. The power department has proposed a charge of Rs 2.24 lakh for this connection.

When Yadav disputed the bill and refused to pay, the department issued an RC (reinstatement challan) against him. Yadav contacted department officials to correct the bill, but his plea fell on deaf ears. Disappointed, Yadav approached RTI for help.

“While hearing the case, the committee posed the following questions to the officials: Was electricity supplied to consumers in Varanasi in 1911? How were the bills calculated and what was the cost per unit? What was delivering electricity to consumers at that time? Which company? Did UPPCL (Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited) exist at that time?” said a source.

Despite multiple summonses, power department officials failed to answer the questions, prompting the commission to issue arrest warrants for them.

The arrest warrant issued to DCP Pramod Kumar said Superintendent Engineer Anil Verma, Executive Engineer RK Gautam, SDO (Upkendra Chauk, Macchodari Varanasi) Sarvesh Yadav and SDO (Lohta) Ravi Anand have been summoned to the Uttar Pradesh State Information Commission to answer questions “with Relating to Electrical Connections in 1911”.

“However, these officials failed to appear on the hearing date. They also did not provide any response to the committee regarding their absence. Prima facie, it appears that these officials willfully ignored/violated the order of the committee,” the arrest warrant said.

Therefore, the commission, in exercise of its powers under the Right to Information Act, 2005 and Section 18(3) of CPC 1908, “orders that you must arrest these officials and summon them before the commission”, the warrant said.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)