The Haryana Right to Service Commission has imposed ₹3,000 fine on a divisional officer-cum-sub divisional engineer of the public health engineering department and directed to pay additional ₹3,000 as compensation to the complainant of the case.
The action was taken for failing to provide a service within the stipulated time frame and negligence in effectively addressing the complaint, an official spokesperson of the Commission said.
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 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 executive engineer (XEN) and superintending engineer (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.
The spokesperson said the inquiry revealed that the officer concerned showed the service as completed beyond the time limit prescribed in the Right to Service (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 necessary action.
{{/usCountry}}The spokesperson said the inquiry revealed that the officer concerned showed the service as completed beyond the time limit prescribed in the Right to Service (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 necessary action.
{{/usCountry}}“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,” the spokesperson said.
The department’s executive engineer and superintending engineer have been issued 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.