The Tripura Human Rights Commission (THRC) has directed the state Revenue Department to examine allegations of misconduct against officials of the Directorate of Land Records and Settlement (DLRS) during the hearing of a Right to Information (RTI) appeal.
In an interim order, a bench headed by Justice Arindam Lodh asked the Secretary of the Revenue Department to conduct an inquiry into the allegations and submit a report before the next hearing scheduled for July 28.
The complaint was filed by advocate Uttam Das, a member of the Tripura Bar Association, who alleged that officials associated with the RTI appeal proceedings behaved in an unprofessional and inappropriate manner during a hearing held on July 1.
According to the complaint, Das had filed an RTI application on April 2 seeking certain information from the department. As no response was received within the stipulated period under the RTI Act, he filed a first appeal and later issued a reminder. Although the department subsequently furnished a partial reply, he alleged that several documents sought under the application were still withheld.
The complaint stated that tensions escalated during the appeal hearing after Das referred to the penalty provisions under Section 20 of the RTI Act. He alleged that the State Public Information Officer (SPIO) accused him of disrupting the proceedings, wasting official time and engaging in unnecessary arguments before the First Appellate Authority (FAA).
Das further claimed that the First Appellate Authority failed to intervene despite the situation deteriorating and that the SPIO left the hearing before its conclusion. He also alleged that an assistant in the RTI Cell made dismissive remarks, reportedly stating that even approaching the Human Rights Commission would have no consequences.
The petition additionally alleged that the SPIO suggested increasing the RTI application fee to discourage what he described as misuse of the Act. It also claimed that records relating to land conversion and related procedures were deliberately withheld despite being available with the department.
After examining the complaint, the Human Rights Commission observed that the allegations required independent verification before any further action could be taken. Accordingly, it directed the Revenue Department to investigate the matter and submit a detailed report. The Commission will take up the matter again on July 28, when the inquiry findings are expected to be placed on record.
