Hunsur CMC officer fined Rs 25,000 for not giving CCTV camera footage to RTI activist
Hunsur: The Karnataka Information Commission has fined a City Municipal Council officer here Rs 25,000 for not handing the CCTV camera footage of the Municipality office to an applicant, in violation of the instructions of the Commission.
J B Obaidullah, an RTI activist of the Hunsur Muslim Block, had asked on February 3, 2022 for footage of the CCTV camera at the CMC office, under the provisions of the RTI Act. The activist had also paid the requisite fees to get access to the footage.
The Municipality, however, responded on October 21, 2022 that there was no backup of the CCTV camera footage asked for by the activist.
Obaidullah complained to the Commission about the failure of the CMC to hand him the footage. Also, while the Commission has ordered that applicants be given the information asked for within 30 days of the submission of application, the CMC had not fulfilled the demand of the applicant for more than 300 days. Instead, the Municipality had merely responded that the footage was unavailable.
The Commission, considering this a violation of the RTI Act, has fined the City Municipality officer, Chandru, Rs 25,000.
State Information Commissioner H C Sathyan has ordered the officer to pay the fine in one instalment and return within deadline the fees collected from the applicant for the CCTV camera footage. The officer has also been instructed to submit a report on the matter to the Commission.
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RGNUL students protest against Vice Chancellor's hostel visit, demand resignation
Patiala: Students of Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Patiala, are protesting against Vice Chancellor Prof. Jai Shankar Singh after his unannounced visit to the girls' hostel, which they claim violated their privacy.
The protest intensified following allegations that Singh made inappropriate comments regarding the clothing of female students.
A video circulating on social media shows the Vice Chancellor inspecting the rooms of female students. When students objected, Singh was seen explaining that he was accompanied by a female warden.
However, students argued that university rules do not permit even parents to enter the hostel, raising concerns over the VC's visit.
The student body has demanded Singh's resignation, stating that a male authority figure should not be allowed in female students' private spaces, regardless of being accompanied by female staff.
In response, Singh clarified that the visit was due to complaints regarding hostel amenities and food quality. He issued an unconditional apology during an address to the students, expressing that he viewed all female students as his granddaughters.
