CIC: disclose the policy related information about the payment of gratuity & pension, requirements, eligibility conditions, etc. for the benefit of pensioners on the official website; Section 4(1)(b) imposes an obligation to disclose such information
7 May, 2014FACTS
The appellant is absent. The Public Authority is represented by Mr. R.S. Minhas, Sr. Manager / PIO, Mr. Raj Kr. Singh, Sr. Manager (Adm) and Mr. Harish, Depot Manager.
2. The respondent authority submitted that the appellant was also absent during the first appeal before the First Appellate authority who has disposed of the case on 3010-2012 as the appellant did not deposit the required fee as intimated to him by the department’s letter dated 21-9-2012.The respondent authority further submitted that they are willing to furnish the information sought by the appellant on payment of the fee as per rules. They are also willing to issue another letter to the appellant indicating the particulars of fee and the amount required to be paid for furnishing the information. The appellant is free to pay the fee and cost and get the required information.
3. In view of the above, the Commission directs the respondents to issue another letter to the appellant indicating the particulars of the fee and cost for furnishing the required information, within 15 days from the date of issue of this letter.
4. The Commission further directs the respondent authority to disclose the policy related information about the payment of gratuity and pension, requirements, eligibility conditions, etc. for the benefit of pensioners on their official website. Such information may also include the cases where the authority initiated recovery of excess amount paid for any other reason to the pensioners, so that this would answer the possible requests for information which is being repeatedly asked by the RTI applicants. Section 4(1)(b) Every public authority shall publish within one hundred and twenty days from the enactment of this Act,- (i) the particulars of its organisation, functions and duties; (ii) the powers and duties of its officers and employees; (iii) the procedure followed in the decision making process, including channels of supervision and accountability; (iv) the norms set by it for the discharge of its functions; (v) the rules, regulations, instructions, manuals and records, held by it or under its control or used by its employees for discharging its functions; (vi) a statement of the categories of documents that are held by it or under its control; (vii) the particulars of any arrangement that exists for consultation with, or representation by, the members of the public in relation to the formulation of its policy or implementation thereof; (viii) a statement of the boards, councils, committees and other bodies consisting of two or more persons constituted as its part or for the purpose of its advice, and as to whether meetings of those boards, councils, committees and other bodies are open to the public, or the minutes of such meetings are accessible for public; (ix) a directory of its officers and employees; (x) the monthly remuneration received by each of its officers and employees, including the system of compensation as provided in its regulations; (xi) the budget allocated to each of its agency, indicating the particulars of all plans, proposed expenditures and reports on disbursements made; (xii) the manner of execution of subsidy programmes, including the amounts allocated and the details of beneficiaries of such programmes; (xiii) particulars of recipients of concessions, permits or authorisations granted by it; (xiv) details in respect of the information, available to or held by it, reduced in an electronic form; (xv) the particulars of facilities available to citizens for obtaining information, including the working hours of a library or reading room, if maintained for public use; (xvi) the names, designations and other particulars of the Public Information Officers; (xvii) such other information as may be prescribed and thereafter update these publications every year; of the RTI Act, 2005 also imposes an obligation on the public authority to voluntarily disclose the routine information, decisions and also related details on the official website, so that the number of RTI applications would be reduced.
5. The case is disposed of accordingly.
(M.Sridhar Acharyulu)
Information Commissioner
Citation: Sh. Jai Kumar Jain v. Delhi Transport Corporation in File No.CIC/AD/A/2012/003716SA