By Mayank Aggarwal, IANS,
New Delhi : An ailing septuagenarian is finally set to get his retirement dues from a state-owned firm after 12 years of fighting for it, thanks to the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
P.N. Sehgal, 72, a resident of Sahibabad in Uttar Pradesh, had been running from pillar to post to get his retirement benefits from The British India Corporation Limited (BIC), a Public Sector Undertaking under the ministry of textiles.
Sehgal, who is suffering from a prostate problem for the last seven years and also high blood pressure, filed an application under the RTI act earlier this year asking the ministry the reasons for not being given his retirement benefits, but didn’t get a reply.
He then approached the Central Information Commission (CIC) here. Central Information Commissioner M.M. Ansari heard his appeal Aug 13.
Sehgal told the CIC about his grievances relating to the payment of retirement benefits such as gratuity, leave encashment, bonus, PF accumulation and grade revision arrears. He also alleged that the BIC and textile ministry had not done the needful to alleviate his financial difficulties.
“I have been pursuing the matter since 1996. BIC has, however, not paid my dues on one pretext or the other, resulting in considerable financial loss and hardship in my old age. I have pleaded that I be told the reasons for not being paid my pension dues,” Sehgal told IANS.
“Though I am suffering from prostate and high blood pressure, I don’t have money for treatment,” Sehgal added.
Satisfied with his arguments, Ansari in his Aug 14 order held that “Non-payment of dues or entitlements of a citizen by the state or its instruments, and that without valid reason, is indeed a serious crime against humanity. Such a negligence of responsibility of the respondents or lack of accountability in the era of information regime is indeed unpardonable.”
Ansari directed BIC to do the needful within 15 working days from the date of the decision and submit a compliance report within 10 days after the necessary action.
“I approached BIC in years 1996, 2000, 2006, but they didn’t take any action on one pretext or another. I went to BIC’s office in Kanpur twice in my old age but they still didn’t help me,” Sehgal said.
“I even approached the ministry of textiles but they also didn’t help me. But finally someone has heard my plea, I am thankful to RTI,” Sehgal added.
“The complainant has submitted a number of representations to various authorities, including the Ministry of Textiles and the BIC, of which he was an employee. While the concerned officials have passed on the papers from one desk to the other, no action as yet has been taken by BIC to redress the grievances of the complainant,” Ansari observed in his order.
“He has indeed been not only deprived of the information sought by him, mainly the reasons for non-payment of pension dues, but also denied a decent standard of life including good health. He has also suffered a great deal in seeking the information and has thus suffered detriment in seeking information,” Ansari held.
The CIC held the BIC’s Chief Public Information Officer M.K. Verma responsible for violation of the RTI act as he failed to provide the grounds for denial of information and issued a show cause notice on why penalty of Rs.25,000 should not be imposed on him.
CIC further asked Verma to submit his explanation within 15 working days from the date of decision, failing which penalty would be imposed on him and asked him to appear for a personal hearing on Sep 15.
Ansari also asked the CMD of BIC to explain why a suitable compensation of Rs.100,000 should not be awarded to the complainant for his suffering in seeking the information on settlement of his pension dues.
CIC also asked the textiles ministry as to what action it had taken on the representations of the complainant when he had approached them.