Penalties

As per section 33 of the Act, any public servant or authority found guilty, by the State Commission at the time of deciding any complaint or appeal, of failing to provide the relief recommended by the District Grievance Redressal Officer, without reasonable cause, or wilfully ignoring such recommendation, shall be liable to penalty not exceeding five thousand rupees.

For the purpose of adjudging penalty under Section 33, the State Commission shall authorise any of its members to be an adjudicating officer for holding an inquiry in the prescribed manner after giving any person concerned a reasonable opportunity of being heard for the purpose of imposing any penalty.

While holding an inquiry, the  adjudicating officer shall have power to summon and enforce the attendance of any person acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case to give evidence or to produce any document which in the opinion of the adjudicating officer, may be useful for or relevant to the subject matter of the inquiry and if, on such inquiry, he is satisfied that the person has failed to provide the relief recommended by the District Grievance Redressal Officer, without reasonable cause, or wilfully ignored such recommendation, he may impose such penalty as he thinks fit in  accordance with the provisions of section 33.