Imphal: The Manipur Information Commission ordered the Home Department to pay Rs. 10,000 to RTI applicant W. Joykumar Singh. This penalty stems from a two-year delay in disclosing relief and rehabilitation data for internally displaced persons. Joykumar first filed his request on August 16, 2024. The commission issued its final decision on August 17 in Appeal Case No. 2 of 2025.
Officials failed to provide key documents despite a formal show-cause notice issued in October 2025. Missing records include State sanction orders, beneficiary lists, selection criteria, and internal file notations. The commission stated, "The prolonged non-compliance had caused detriment, mental harassment and loss of opportunity to the appellant."
Neither the First Appellate Authority nor the State Public Information Officer bothered to attend the final hearing. The Commissioner of Home now has 30 days to hand over the compensation. Meanwhile, the SPIO and Joint Secretary of the Home Department must deliver the outstanding documents for free within 15 days.
The commission also ordered the department to publish all relevant IDP relief data on its official website as required by Section 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act. Failure to obey these new instructions could lead to further disciplinary action or additional penalties under Section 20 of the Act.
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