Information pertaining to payments and approvals of the work orders was sought from South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. - CIC: Provide a certified copy of circular/rule framed by the SECL and issued by the competent authority to the appellant
28 Aug, 2019O R D E R
1. The appellant filed an application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) before the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. seeking information on three points pertaining to payments and approvals of the work orders including, inter-alia, (i) company policy for payment of work orders and their authorization and (ii) whether the said rules are strictly followed by all the units of the company where contractual jobs/works are being carried out.
2. The appellant filed a second appeal before the Commission on the grounds that relevant information in the desired form has not been received. The appellant requested the Commission to direct the CPIO to provide the information expeditiously and free of cost, and provide compensation for the mental distress caused to him.
Hearing:
3. The appellant Shri P C Dutta attended the hearing through videoconferencing. The respondent Shri P K Singh Rathore, CPIO, South Eastern Coalfields Ltd., Korba and Shri K Dharma Rao, APIO, South Eastern Coalfields Ltd., Bilaspur, attended the hearing through video-conferencing.
4. The appellant submitted that satisfactory reply has not been furnished by the respondents. The appellant further submitted that the staff officer has furnished false and misleading replies to the Commission, as he has not received a copy of the letter no. 395 dated 23.06.2017. The appellant further sought specific information regarding the company’s policy/rules that denies payment for work that has been carried out on verbal orders of the officers of the company.
5. The respondent submitted that there is no provision in the company rules to grant payment for work carried out on verbal orders of an officer. The respondent further submitted that any order of verbal work or payment by any officer is not considered as per rule of the company and the appellant has been informed the same vide letter-dated 23.06.2017. The respondent further submitted that CIC Order No. CIC/YA/A/2016/000168 dated 02.06.2016 has already decided this issue of payment.
Decision:
6. The Commission, after hearing the submissions of both the parties and perusing the records, observes that though an appropriate response has been provided to the appellant vide letter dated 17.10.2017, a certified copy of circular/rule framed by the SECL and issued by the competent authority has not been furnished to the appellant. The Commission, therefore, directs the respondent to provide the document sought vide point no. 2 of the RTI application to the appellant within four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order under intimation to the Commission.
7. With the above observations, the appeal is disposed of.
8. Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.
Sd/-
Sudhir Bhargava
Chief Information Commissioner
Citation: P C Dutta v. South Eastern Coalfields Ltd., Bilaspur in Second Appeal No. CIC/SECFL/A/2018/113129, Date 30.07.2019