Central Information Commission
Amarjeet vs Gnctd on 3 March, 2025
केन्द्रीय सूचना आयोग
Central Information Commission
बाबा गंगनाथ मागग, मुननरका
Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
नई निल्ली, New Delhi - 110067
File No: CIC/GNCTD/A/2024/110157
Amarjeet .....अपीलकर्ाग /Appellant
VERSUS
बनाम
CPIO,
O/o the District Welfare Officer (South West)
Social Welfare Department, 22-23,
Udhyog Sadan, Qutub Institutional Area,
New Delhi - 110016 ....प्रनर्वािीगण /Respondent
Date of Hearing : 19.02.2025
Date of Decision : 28.02.2025
INFORMATION COMMISSIONER : Vinod Kumar Tiwari
Relevant facts emerging from appeal:
RTI application filed on : 27.12.2023
CPIO replied on : 01.02.2023
First appeal filed on : 07.02.2023
First Appellate Authority's order : Not on record
2nd Appeal/Complaint dated : 03.04.2024
Information sought:
The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 27.12.2023 (offline) seeking the following information:
"बारम्बार आवेदन व आग्रह करने व मेरे लिए अति आवश्यक एवं सुपात्र होने के बाद भी वररष्ठ नागररक पैशन मुझे प्रदान नह ं की जा रह है । अनुरोध है हमारे Page 1 of 5 गााँव महहपाि पुर, नईहदल्ि -37 में उपरोक्ि पैशन के िाभार्थि रहे या चि रहे व्यक्क्ियों की सूची प्रदान करें !"
The CPIO furnished a reply to the Appellant on 01.02.2023 stating as under:
"उपरोक्ि ववषयान्िगिि आपका पत्र क्रमाक संख्या 17841 हदनाक 03.01.2024 उक्ि कायाििय में PIO (RTI Cell), समाज कल्याण ववभाग द्वारा उक्ि कायाििय में हदनाक 08/01/2024 को प्राप्ि हुआ। कायाििय में उपिब्ध आकडो एवं जानकार के आधार पर जानकार तनम्न हैं-
वध ृ ावस्था आर्थिक साहयिा योजना के नये आवेदन उक्ि कायाििय द्वारा Old Age capping के कारण स्वीकार नह ं ककये जा रहे है । वध ृ ावस्था आर्थिक साहयिा योजना के नये आवेदन (ररक्क्िया) तनकिना नीिीगि तनणिय है । जो की समाज कल्याण ववभाग मुख्यािय से संबर्धि है । उक्ि योजना में जब भी ववभाग द्वारा नये आवेदन स्वीकार ककये जायेगे िब आप योजना के तनयम, शिि अहिाये योग्यिाओ के आधार पर आप आवेदन कर सकिे है ।
कायाििय द्वारा ववधासभा अनूसार वध ृ ावस्था िाभाथी का data maintain ककया जािा है । न. कक गाव, मोहल्िा, कॉिोनी, wise. कुि ववधान सभा बबजवासन (Ac-
36) वध ृ ावस्था िाभाथी संख्या 5517 है ।"
Being dissatisfied, the appellant filed a First Appeal dated 07.02.2023. The FAA order is not on record.
Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied, appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal.
Relevant Facts emerged during Hearing:
The following were present:-
Appellant: Present through video conference.
Respondent: Shri Jeevan Prakash, Section Officer and Shri Rajesh Kumar, ASO, appeared in person.
The appellant inter alia submitted that he was not satisfied with the reply given by the respondents as the respondent has provided partial information.Page 2 of 5
The appellant stated that list of old age pension beneficiaries was not provided by the respondent till the date of hearing.
The respondent while defending their case inter alia reiterated the reply given by the CPIO vide letter dated 01.02.2023. They stated that their office maintains the data of old age beneficiaries' assembly constituency-wise but not Village-wise/Mohalla-wise/colony-wise. However, they provided total number of old age beneficiaries in the assembly constituency Bijwasan (Assembly Constituency-36). On a query from the Commission as to why the list is not maintained administrative unit-wise with which any citizen could relate and point out discrepancy or inclusion of ineligible persons ( कुपात्र व्यक्ति ) so that rights of eligible (सुपात्र व्यक्ति ) persons are not adversely affected.
Decision:
The Commission after adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case, hearing both the parties and perusal of the records, noted that the respondent provided partial information to the appellant. The respondent denied list of old age pension beneficiaries to the appellant. The appellant pleaded that he had applied many times for old age pension, however, the same was not given to him. He apprehends that many ineligible persons (कुपात्र व्यक्ति) have been granted old age pension on political considerations but he having no political godfather is being denied the benefit of a welfare scheme. Hence, he wanted the entire list locality-wise.
The Commission notes with concern that information collected as one lump data for entire assembly constituency even if disclosed to the public it will serve no purpose except that of the politician who recommended all such cases. The information has to be stored in a form which can be used for transparency and accountability as enshrined in the preamble of the RTI Act.
The information sought by the appellant is in respect of the welfare scheme old age pension introduced by the State Government. The beneficiary details of the said scheme should be made public on the lines of BPL list which is made public. It may not be out of place to mention that considering the objective of RTI Act to maintain transparency and accountability, it is the public authority's responsibility to voluntarily and widely disseminate information relating to affirmative action, welfare measures and other social welfare benefits in a format with which the citizen can relate and can scrutinize so as to file objections against inclusion of ineligible persons (कुपात्र व्यक्ति). As per Section Page 3 of 5 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act, among other aspects, every public authority is under obligation to publish following information:
"(xii) the manner of execution of subsidy programmes, including the amounts allocated and the details of beneficiaries of such programmes;
(xiii) particulars of recipients of concessions, permits or authorizations granted by it;"
In view of the above, the Commission observed that reply given by the respondent was incomplete, evasive and misleading. The Commission is of the view that if the name and age of the beneficiaries of old age pension is published in the public domain in the manner as observed above, no harm will occur to any third party. The old age pension scheme aims to provide social protection to the eligible beneficiaries. It is imperative to make the old age pension beneficiaries public so that scrutiny of the same could be done by the public at large. Therefore, it should be in public domain.
In view of the above, the respondent is directed to revisit the RTI application and provide the information including name and age of old age pension beneficiaries locality-wise, to the appellant free of cost, within three weeks' time from the date of receipt of this order and put the same in public domain in compliance of section 4 (1) (b) of the RTI Act. The respondent PIO is directed to place a copy of this order before the competent authority for compliance of this order.
The FAA to ensure compliance of this order.
The appeal is disposed of accordingly.
Vinod Kumar Tiwari (विनोद कुमार वििारी) Information Commissioner (सूचना आयुक्त) Authenticated true copy (अनिप्रमानणर् सत्यानपर् प्रनर्) (S. Anantharaman) Dy. Registrar 011- 26181927 Date Page 4 of 5 Copy To:
The FAA Department of Social Welfare, 7th Floor, MSO Building, ITO, New Delhi - 110002 Page 5 of 5 Recomendation(s) to PA under section 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005:-
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