Information regarding non payment of salary was denied stating that it is the responsibility of the Head of the School – CIC: inform the date when the payment will be released, interest on the same; a compensation awarded due to delay
15 Jun, 2014ORDER
FACTS
1. The appellant submitted that he is seeking information through his RTI application dt. 392012. PIO replied on 14-9-2012 regarding the non payment of his salary for the relevant period he worked as guest teacher saying that the payment of appellant’s salary is the responsibility of the concerned Head of the School. Being unsatisfied with the reply of PIO, the appellant preferred First Appeal dt. 27-12-2012. As he could not receive any order from the FAA in the prescribed time, he approached the Commission with the 2nd appeal.
Decision:
2. Heard the submissions. The appellant is entitled to remuneration as a guest teacher for the teaching and relating work for the period from 7-3-2011 to 31-3-2011. The Principal of the school calculated the amount as Rs.7,200/to be paid to the appellant. He has quoted sanctions from Planning section, etc. and presented papers for nonpayment of the dues to the appellant. The Commission finds this delay as a serious lapse on the part of the Public Authority, who is indulging in unnecessary correspondence among various officers of the same Department, instead of making payment to a senior citizen like the appellant of the age of 69 years, who has been made to wait for 3 years. The respondents agree that the appellant is entitled to receive the payment. The Commission, therefore, directs the respondent authority to inform by what date the payment of Rs.7,200/will be released, within one week along with interest on the same, from the date it was due to be paid till the date on which it is being paid at a simple interest prevailing in the banks.
3. The Commission also directs the respondent authority to pay the appellant a compensation of Rs.9,000/apart from the remuneration and interest, within 3 weeks from the date of receipt of the order for the delay in information supplied. The Commission also directs the PIO/APIO(NW)/Principal of the concerned School and the DDE(Planning) NorthWest District to show cause why penalty cannot be imposed on them for the inordinate delay in furnishing the information about the payment of dues to the appellant. Their explanation should reach the Commission within 3 weeks from the date of receipt of this order.
(M. Sridhar Acharyulu)
Information Commissioner
Citation: Mr. Attar Singh Kaushik v. Dte. Of Education, Delhi in File No.CIC/AD/A/2013/000476SA