Using RTI for getting a correcting a wrong entry in the pension papers
5 Oct, 2012Background
The appellant filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act with the Northern Railway Accounts Branch seeking information about the processing and the action taken on his representation regarding the wrong entry of date of birth of his wife in the revised pension order. The Public Information Officer (PIO) informed him that the case file is untraceable and requested the applicant to provide the proof of date of birth of his wife so that necessary correction can be made.
Proceedings
During the hearing before the Central Information Commission (CIC), the respondent submitted that at the time of revision of pension pursuant to recommendation of 6th CPC they had called upon the pensioners to submit the proof of their date of birth and the appellant had submitted a copy of voter ID card of his wife, showing the age to be 65 years based on which they had calculated the date of birth of the appellant’s wife. The appellant stated that the voter ID was submitted as residence proof and not as a proof of the date of birth and that the respondent should have obtained the same from the old pension papers and that they should not have changed the date of birth on their own. The respondents stated that they have since traced the concerned file and they are willing to make the necessary correction in the record if the appellant provides them proof of date of birth of his wife. The appellant stated that the old pension papers are already available with them based on which they can make necessary correction.
View of CIC
The Central Information Commission (CIC) observed that the appellant have certain grievance against the Public authority for entering the wrong date of birth of his wife in the revised pension order which could not be sorted out under the RTI Act. The CIC further added that the appellant was an elderly person, and since the wrong date of birth has been entered without giving much thought to it, it was advised that the respondents look into the appellant’s problem and taken necessary action. The appellant was also advised to cooperate with the respondents.
Citation: Mr. Pratap Kumar Kochhar v. Northern Railway Accounts Branch in File No. CIC/AD/C/2012/001398
RTI Citation : RTIFI/2012/CIC/703
Click here to view original RTI order of Court / Information Commission