FinMin official gets CIC rap for not giving info

[sidmis]

FinMin official gets CIC rap for not giving info

As Reported by by Rahul Mangaonkar,Times of India, TNN, 4 Aug 2008

AHMEDABAD: The Central Information Commission (CIC) took a Union
finance ministry official to task for not giving information regarding
extension of ex-gratia payment to surviving spouses of former bank
employees under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Along with the information, the official has been told to inform her
which bank to approach to get the benefit as she was entitled to the
ex-gratia payment . Gita Surti, residing at Bank of India (BoI) staff
society , Gulbai Tekra had under RTI filed an application with the
CPIO and under secretary of the Ministry of Finance (MoF)'s banking
division. She wanted details regarding grant of exgratia relief to
former employees retired prior to January 1986, and extending this
facility to surviving spouses.

The CPIO MK Malhotra returned the application stating that Surti had
not paid fees as per RTI. He advised Surti that banks were public
authorities and she can very well approach the concerned bank for the
information.

Surti filed her appeal against this reply before the appellate
authority of the banking division. As she did not get any reply she
appealed to CIC. At the hearing before CIC, Malhotra said that since
Surti had not paid the fee along with her application as per RTI, her
application was returned, and advised to approach the concerned bank.
CIC pointed out to Malhotra that being a CPIO of a public authority he
was required to properly advise beneficiaries of banking service.

The grant of ex-gratia relief to former employees retired before 1986
had been issued by the ministry therefore Surti rightly approached the
department of banking, observed CIC. It held that Malhotra as the CPIO
had no authority to suggest Surti to obtain information from the
concerned bank.

It was found that Surti was also not returned Rs 20 court fee.
Information Commissioner Padma Balasubramanian held this as "totally
unacceptable" . Surti had also enclosed a copy of BoI memo regarding
ex-gratia payment to surviving spouses of employees who had retired
before January 1986. This was on the basis of an IBA note issued after
MoF gave its approval extending the ex-gratia relief of Rs 1,000 per
month to surviving spouses of those who took voluntary retirement
after completing 20 years continuous service in the bank.
...
FinMin official gets CIC rap for not giving info-Ahmedabad-Cities-The Times of India