New Delhi: The Central Information Commission (CIC) has pulled up the CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CSIR-CIMFR), Dhanbad, over an RTI case linked to delayed payment of a contractor's bills, observing that the matter reflected a "complete breakdown in institutional discipline" and administrative responsibility.

Information Commissioner P. R. Ramesh said intervention at the highest level of the institute had become necessary to restore administrative discipline and ensure compliance with statutory obligations.

The case relates to the alleged non-payment of a contractor's bills for more than two years and the failure of the public authority to respond to his Right to Information (RTI) application seeking reasons for the delay.

The Commission noted that the appellant had been compelled to repeatedly pursue both the pending payment and information related to the delay through the RTI mechanism, and viewed the matter with "serious concern".

The CIC said contradictory claims made by officials regarding the custody of records reflected "a disturbing state of administrative confusion and lack of accountability" within the public authority.

It observed that a situation in which the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) identified certain officials as custodians of information, those officials ignored the Commission's directions, failed to appear during proceedings and subsequently denied possessing the records could not be accepted under law.

The Commission further observed that withholding legitimate payments for over two years, if established, was not merely a procedural lapse but one that could adversely affect the livelihood of the vendor, disrupt business operations and undermine the credibility expected of a public authority.

The CIC directed the First Appellate Authority of CSIR-CIMFR to obtain the relevant records, provide the appellant with a revised point-wise reply and submit a compliance report. It said the ongoing show-cause proceedings against the officials concerned would continue separately.

Expressing "serious displeasure" over the conduct of the officials, the Commission said their actions had obstructed the flow of information and weakened the transparency framework envisaged under the RTI Act.

The Commission also observed that public authorities exist to serve citizens and should not subject them to prolonged hardship through administrative indifference, adding that vendors who have rendered services should not be forced to spend years pursuing payments legitimately due to them.

Earlier, while initiating show-cause proceedings, the CIC had termed the handling of the RTI application "lackadaisical" and observed that denial of relevant records could frustrate an applicant's efforts to seek judicial remedy.