Date of retirement of appellant’s father & pensionary benefits due to him were sought - PIO: on the basis of the available records, the insurance amount & PF amount shall be calculated & paid - CIC: appellant to visit the railway office for inspection
3 Jan, 2015O R D E R
Facts:
1. The appellant filed an RTI application on 3-2-2014 seeking information pertaining to the date of retirement of his father. The CPIO responded on 21-5-2014, asking the appellant to produce any papers relating to his father’s railway service. The appellant filed an appeal before the first appellate authority (FAA) on 14-3-2014. The appellant filed a second appeal with the Commission on 30-4-2014.
Hearing:
2. The appellant was present during the hearing. The respondent was heard through VC.
3. The appellant referred to his RTI application of 3-2-2014 and stated that his father had retired from the post of Khalasi in the respondent organization and that he has not been given any information on the RTI application that he had filed. The appellant stated that instead of being providing the information, the respondent organization is making him run around from pillar to post. The appellant said that the respondent organization has not even provided the simplest information, i.e., when did his father retire and what were the retirement pensionary benefits of his father.
4. The appellant said that he wants information on the following:
(a) the date of retirement of his father whose name was Mohd. Iqbal;
(b) what were the retirement and pensionary benefits due to his father; and
(c) have the retirement pensionary benefits and other dues been paid to his father and, if yes, then when was the payment made.
5. The respondent stated that the appellant was responded to by the respondent organization on 21-5-2014 in which the appellant was asked to provide further information so as to enable the respondent to identify the railway employee about whom the information was being sought.
6. The respondent stated that the original representation from the appellant was vague and very sketchy and it was not possible for the respondent to be able to identify the person concerned and in this light, the appellant was asked to visit the railway office on any working day so that the correct person could be identified following which the information will be given.
7. The respondent stated that in the course of the past one or two weeks they have looked into this matter, and have found that Mohd. Iqbal had actually been removed from service on account of unauthorized absence from duty and that this removal from service had taken place on 211-1997. The respondent further elaborated that when an employee is removed from service, pensionary benefits are not given but the benefits of PF and group insurance are given. The respondent stated that as per their information, Mohd. Iqbal had expired in 2012 and that it is also mentionable that in the 15 years between his removal from service and 2012, no family member had entered into any correspondence with the respondent organization.
8. The respondent stated that now that this matter has come to their knowledge, they will, on the basis of the availability of records, calculate the PF and the insurance amount that is due to Mohd. Iqbal and make the payment.
9. What emerged from the hearing is that the appellant will visit the railway office on 7-10-2014 in the Personnel Branch of the Railways in Moradabad to initiate the preparation of the documentation for payments.
Decision:
10. The respondent is directed to provide the available information to the appellant on para 4 above within 30 days of this order and take action in accordance with paras 8 and 9 above. Appeal is disposed of. Copy of this order be given free of cost to the parties.
(Vijai Sharma)
Information Commisioner
Citation: Shri Mohd. Amil v. Northern Railway in Decision No.CIC/VS/A/2014/001153/08053