Court quashes penalty under RTI Act for delayed info on doctors' pay scales.

The court set aside the penalty imposed under Section 20 of the Right to Information Act for delayed provision of information on doctors' pay scales and appointments. The delay was deemed reasonable due to the extensive review of service records of 2,500 doctors. Emphasizing that penalties aim to ensure prompt information disclosure, the court ruled that justified delays should be accepted. The petitioners eventually received the information in full, leading to the success of the writ petition with the penalty order being quashed, and no costs awarded.

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Issues involved: Challenge to penalty imposed u/s 20 of Right to Information Act for delayed information provision.

Summary:
The writ petition challenged the penalty imposed u/s 20 of the Right to Information Act for failing to provide information regarding doctors' pay scales and appointments in a timely manner. The delay in providing the information was attributed to the need to review service records of 2,500 doctors. The petitioners eventually received the complete information. The 2nd respondent highlighted a communication indicating unnecessary delay in providing the information. The court emphasized that penalty provisions under Section 20 aim to prompt public authorities to act promptly in providing requested information. Not every delay warrants a penalty, and if a delay is justified, it should be accepted. In this case, the court found the delay reasonable, considering the circumstances and the efforts made to provide the information. Consequently, the writ petition succeeded, and the impugned order imposing the penalty was set aside, with no directions as to costs.

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