Penalty of Rs 75,000/- imposed on the CPIO & Regional Provident Fund Commissioner EPFO
4 Feb, 2018This is to inform you that Central Information Commission (CIC), New Delhi has in its three orders on petitions filed by Parveen Kohli, former General Manager of Haryana Tourism Corporation (HTC) Chandigarh imposed a total fine of Rs 75,000/- on Mukesh Kumar CPIO & Regional Provident Fund Commissioner (RPFC-1), Employees Provident Organisation (EPFO) New Delhi.
The Hon’ble Information Commissioner Prof. M. Sridhar Acharyulu has in three separate petitions of Parveen Kohli imposed "maximum penalty of Rs 25,000/-" in each of three orders against Mukesh Kumar CPIO & RPFC-1, EPFO New Delhi for his failure to supply information to the former GM of Haryana Tourism Corporation. Copies of three orders of the CIC are attached for your ready reference.
Despite applications and appeals of Parveen Kohli to EPFO, various Information Officer's in EPFO New Delhi refused to give information as sought by him under the RTI Act & depositing of requisite fees etc.
Parveen Kohli had amongst his applications to EPFO sought information and certified photo copies of all circulars, letters, notifications, directions etc issued by EPFO regarding various issues including grant of higher pension to retired employees of Public & Private sector covered under the Provident Fund Act & EPS-95 Scheme.
He had sought documents amongst other issues on contribution by employees to Pension Fund on Salary exceeding Rs. 5,000/Rs. 6,500/Rs, 15,000/- per month i.e. on Full / Higher Salary so that retired employees of Public & Private sector having PF Accounts could get higher monthly pension as compared to present meagre pension ranging between Rs 1,000/- per month & about Rs 2,500/- per month.
But despite various applications & appeals before CPIOs & 1st Appellate Authority in EPFO including Mukesh Kumar CPIO and RPFC-1 Parveen Kohli was not only denied the information, documents etc but Mukesh Kumar allegedly "humiliated him (Parveen Kohli) in his (Mukesh Kumar) office premises" and also denied an appointment to Parveen Kohli for inspection of various files, documents etc.
Upholding the three complaints of Parveen Kohli against the senior officer of EPFO New Delhi, the Hon’ble Information Commissioner said in its identical orders "It seems the entire RTI Wing (of EPFO) doesn't realise their duty to furnish certified copies to the applicants under the RTI Act ..…. The officer of respondent public authority (EPFO) have shown no regard, courtesy or sympathy for their own erstwhile colleagues & they have no imagination that they would step into shoes of pensioners soon".
"The appellate authority (of EPFO) is directed to recover the amount of Rs 25,000/- from the Salary payable to Shri Mukesh Kumar CPIO & RPFC-1 (Pension), EPFO New Delhi" the Hon’ble Information Commissioner said in its three orders imposing a total fine of Rs 75,000/- against Shri Mukesh Kumar to be recovered from his Salary in instalments.
Parveen Kohli had also sought details regarding recomputating / revising the pension of retiree's & it's disbursal on full Salary last drawn by EPFO irrespective of any limit i.e. beyond earlier Salary limit of Rs 6,500/Rs 15,000 in view of various court orders / Judgements including of the Supreme Court during the years between 2013 and 2017.
Parveen Kohli led the struggle for implementing the judgments of the Supreme Court of India so that retired employees of Public & Private sector may get higher monthly pension on their full Salary instead of the Salary limit of Rs 6,500/- or Rs 15,000/-.
He is now leading retired employees so that all can get monthly pension on basis of full Salary instead of limit of Rs 6,500/- or Rs 15,000/- due to which monthly pension gets limited to meagre monthly pension of between Rs 1,000/- and Rs 2,500/- per month.
Web links of Central Information Commission in respect of attached THREE orders are:
http://dsscic.nic.in/cause-list-report-web/download?filename=MjAxOC0wMS0yNS0xNzU0MjQxNTcwMjMucGRm
http://dsscic.nic.in/cause-list-report-web/download?filename=MjAxOC0wMS0yNS0xODE2MDkxNTcwMjQucGRm
http://dsscic.nic.in/cause-list-report-web/download?filename=MjAxOC0wMS0yNS0xODA4MTgxNTcwMjcucGRm
Parveen Kohli