हिंदी
Chandigarh, 11 August 2025
The Haryana Right to Service Commission has imposed a token fine of ₹3,000 on a Divisional Officer-cum-Sub Divisional Engineer of the Public Health Engineering Department, along with a token compensation of ₹3,000 to be paid to the complainant. The action was taken for failing to provide a service within the stipulated time frame and for negligence in effectively addressing the complaint.
The complainant, a resident of Hisar, informed the Commission that he and his family were severely affected by the lack of water supply, not only this year but also during last year’s summer. Last year, following the Commission’s intervention, the pipeline was replaced. However, in April, May, and June this year, there was practically no water supply, forcing them to purchase drinking water from the market. The complainant also stated that the appeals were disposed of by the XEN and SE in an incorrect manner and without giving them an opportunity to be heard. He requested the Commission to ensure water supply to his home as per prescribed standards, as water is a basic necessity for every individual.
A Commission spokesperson said the inquiry revealed that the concerned officer showed the service as completed beyond the time limit prescribed in the RTS Act, and the reply was sent without actually resolving the complaint. The spokesperson said all relevant departmental officers had previously been trained for effective complaint resolution. Despite this, appeals were decided without hearings and without the necessary action.
In this case, the Commission has directed that the said amount be deducted from the officer’s salary for August 2025 and deposited in the state treasury in September 2025, while the compensation is to be given to the complainant. Additionally, the department’s Executive Engineer and Superintending Engineer have been issued strict warnings to ensure that appeals are disposed of within the prescribed timelines under the Act in the future. The Commission has made it clear that if such negligence is repeated, the matter will be clubbed with future cases and departmental action will be recommended.
