Penalties for not furnishing information within time under Right to Information Act, 2005

If Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer, without any reasonable cause,

(i)                 refused to receive an application for information, or

(ii)               has not furnished information within the time specified, or

(iii)             malafidely denied the request for information, or

(iv)             knowingly given incorrect, incomplete or misleading information, or

(v)               destroyed information which was the subject of the request, or

(vi)             obstructed in any manner in furnishing the information,

The Central Information Commission or State Information Commission can impose a penalty of two hundred and fifty rupees each day till application is received or information is furnished. The total penalty however not to exceed twenty- five thousand rupees

The Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall be given a reasonable opportunity of being heard before any penalty is imposed on him

The burden of proving that he acted reasonably and diligently shall be on the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer, as the case may be.

If Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer has persistently involved in aforementioned activities of denying information without any reasonable cause, the Central Information Commission or the State Information Commission, as the case may be, can recommend for disciplinary action against him under the applicable service rules. 

See section 20 of the Right to Information Act, 2005