Himachal Pradesh info panel issues notices to ADM on Priyanka Vadra's land deal

SHIMLA: The State Information Commission (SIC) of Himachal Pradesh on Saturday issued notices to Shimla additional district magistrate and other concerned officers for 'concealing information' about Priyanka Vadra's land purchase.

The commission has posted the matter for August 20.

The SIC on June 29 this year had directed the district administration to provide information about the land purchased by Priyanka Vadra in Shimla.

But the Himachal Pradesh high court stayed the order on July 7 after Vadra filed a petition before it.

State chief information commissioner Bhim Sen while hearing the petition filed by RTI activist Dev Ashish Bhattcharya, said, "Officers do not maintain the records as per the government rules and it results into delays in providing information."

In his petition, Bhattacharya had challenged the orders of first appellate authority-cum-Shimla deputy commissioner granting stay on the appeal filed by Vadra through her counsel. Bhattacharya had claimed that FAA decided the appeal on same day.

Following stay granted by FAA, Bhattacharya had filed another RTI application in February this year seeking information regarding such prompt action in which appeals were settled in a single day. The office of Shimla deputy commissioner provided the information for 2014 but without including the name of Vadra whose appeal was entertained on December 23 last year.

SIC during the hearing observed that office of Shimla DC has given information about the appeals transferred while information of appeal which was decided in actual was not given. Bhattcharya said that office of Shimla deputy commissioner was denying that they had received any of the first appeal from him and he submitted the proof along with the receipts of the application sent through India Post.

The commission on this put the report submitted by the diary dispatch official on the record and directed the Shimla district administration to disclose the name of dealing hand that had received the appeal but denied later so that he could be held guilty for delay in giving the information.