ITANAGAR, Jul 27: The Arunachal Pradesh Information Commission (APIC) has imposed a penalty of Rs 25,000 on Er Kipa Kaya, PIO-cum-Executive Engineer (DHPD), Office of the Superintending Engineer, Kameng Basin, Department of Hydro Power Development, Bomdila, for gross violation of the provisions of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
According to the Commission's order, a show-cause notice dated May 5, 2026 (No. APIC-1531/N/2026) had directed the PIO to submit a paragraph-wise reply and appear before the Commission on the scheduled date of hearing. However, the officer neither complied with the directions nor appeared before the Commission.
Taking serious note of the non-compliance, the Commission imposed the penalty of Rs 25,000 under Section 20(1) of the RTI Act, 2005.
The Commission has directed the PIO to deposit the penalty amount in favour of the Registrar, APIC, Itanagar, through a Treasury Challan under the Head of Account "0070 – Other Administrative Charges" on or before August 10, 2026.
The officer has also been instructed to submit proof of the penalty payment along with all the information sought by the appellant before the next date of hearing.
The Commission warned that failure to comply with its directions would invite further action under Section 20(2) of the RTI Act, including a recommendation for disciplinary proceedings and issuance of an arrest warrant under Section 18(3)(a) of the Act to compel attendance before the Commission.