Failing to give a timely reply to an RTI petition has landed seven Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) inspectors in the soup. A city-based RTI activist had sought information from the civic body about illegal constructions in West Zone in April 2017. Pankaj Bhatt had written a letter to the Public Information Officer and Deputy Estate Officer of West Zone, asking them about the illegal constructions between March 28, 2011, to March 31, 2017, in the wards. Bhatt moved the RTI information commission in June after he didn't receive any reply from the RTI. His letter was forwarded to the subordinate ward inspectors of the estate department.The officers were asked to file a reply in 10 days. The Public Information Officer and Ward Inspector of Sardar Patel Stadium region submitted the information before the commission on October 16, stating they had given the information to the applicant on October 10, 2018. Also, the Navrangpura ward inspector said he had forwarded details about the illegal construction in his ward to the applicant. While five inspectors, who were present before the commission during the hearing, said the information system has been computerised since 2009. The Deputy Estate Officer can give the information in the shortest time, the public information officer told the commission. The commission observed the information that could have been easily made available, was not given to the applicant. Instead, the application was forwarded to the subordinates. Holding the officers guilty as per RTI Article 20 (2), the commission asked the AMC to initiate departmental action against the culprit. The commission has also informed that it will take action against the information officer and ward inspectors of Ranip, Chandkheda, Nava Vadaj, Naranpura, Paldi, Sabarmati and Vasna. NO REPLY Pankaj Bhatt had written a letter to Public Information Officer and Deputy Estate Officer of West Zone, asking them about the illegal constructions between March 28, 2011, to March 31, 2017.

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