Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has serviced off to an information officer after he opened in an RTI query that the Devendra Fadnavis administration had not followed due procedure ahead of clearing the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.

In his reply to an RTI application lodged by activist Jeetendra Ghadge, Sarangkumar Patil had stated that Fadnavis-led committee formed to revision the impact of the high-speed rail corridor had cleared the project without convention even once.

The RTI reply had caused a huge humiliation to the BJP and was met by quick rejections from ministers in the state as it led to proposals that the state did not have any say in granting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project.

Now, Patil found himself suspended for supposedly providing "incorrect information" and faces an investigation by the home department of Maharashtra. This is the first example of an information officer being perched for allegedly providing off beam information under the RTI Act.

The RTI reply had asserted that on February 27, 2017, the state home department had formed a subcommittee — to be headed by Fadnavis — to carry out  an "in-depth study" of the bullet train project. On September 12 of that year, the project was given approval by this committee.

On the other hand, in these six months, the special committee, did not even convene once, let alone  held an “in-depth study" of the project, according to the RTI respond given by Patil.

"You have sought information on the meetings of the cabinet subcommittee. So far, not even one meeting has been held," read the RTI reply.