The Central Information Commission has rapped officials of the postal department for not furnishing information on investments made by the parents of an RTI applicant, calling their behaviour "inhuman, anti-RTI and unreasonable", and ordered an inquiry.
During the hearing through video-conference, Sanghamitra Mukherjee narrated "the pathetic story of her continuous harassment" by the officials of post office of North Kolkata Division located in front of her home.
Being the only heir and nominee, Mukherjee was trying to get details of investments made by her parents and had submitted death certificate and nomination documents to buttress her claims, Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu noted.
She was not provided these details for nearly three years despite countless visits to the post office after which she filed an RTI application on December 28, 2015, he said. But information was not provided to her even after that, he said.
"The appellant explained that she was all alone as she has lost her husband also," he said, adding she was suffering from vision deficiency and diabetes due to age.
"The officers at the post office were harassing her without giving details and preventing her from realising the investments of her parents despite hundreds of visits. Every time they made her to wait for hours pretending to be searching for the details," he said.
Acharyulu pointed out that Sanjay Biswas, the Assistant Superintendent of Posts, who appeared for hearing was non-responsive and was presenting lengthy arguments justifying the denial.
Also Read
The Commission is compelled to infer that the staff members "colluded to deny her benefits" and information, possibly for "malicious reasons", he said.
"Perhaps some of them are delaying the matter with sinister motives. The situation warrants intervention of higher officers," he said.
He said it is unfortunate that even the first appellate authority justified the no-response without applying mind.
"The behaviour of the postal employees towards her was, apparently inhuman, anti-RTI and unreasonable...Their approach to the customer reflects the breach of trust and breach of contract. The information sought was about the core area of function of the post office that is properly operating savings investments," he said.
Acharyulu said even without RTI, they should have facilitated her to claim her parents' money acting like trustees.
"Post officers have deliberately ignored that she was the nominee of those accounts. As a legal heir, she is entitled to her parents' money under contract, and as a consumer she has a right to quick service also besides having RTI to all the information, she sought. Her RTI request reflects her unaddressed grievance and absence of governance in this public authority," he said.
He directed the office of Chief Post Master General, West Bengal Division, to take necessary measures including conducting enquiry into the alleged harassment, denial of money and provide information to the appellant and also to redress her grievance within a month.
Acharyulu also issued a showcause notice to Dinanath Prasad, present CPIO; Goutam Jana, CPIO on December 28, 2015; Biswas, considering him as deemed PIO; to showcause why the maximum penalty of Rs 25,000 should not be imposed on each of them for not furnishing the information sought.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content