HOW TO OBTAIN RTI INFORMATION

I am writing this column for those who are desirous of collecting information under RTI and what should be the correct format to have information. As all of us know that, citizen has a right to seek such information from a public authority which is held by the public authority or which is held under its control. It is not open to a requester to ask, in the guise of seeking information, questions to the public authorities about the nature and quality of their actions. The RTI Act does not cast on the public authority any obligation to answer queries, to elicit answers to his questions with prefixes, such as, why, what, when and whether. As an applicant, we can only seek information as defined in Section 2 (f) either by pinpointing the file, document, paper or record, etc., or by mentioning the type of information as may be available with the specified public authority. We can, for example, ask for all records /Copy of decision taken/Copy of note sheets to implement certain orders. We can ask for copy of orders pertaining to implementation period as per law under the rule but not “What would be the further maximum reasonable time required to implement orders?” The definition of information cannot include within its fold answers to the question "which" that would be same thing as asking the reason for a justification for a particular thing. The public information authorities cannot expect to communicate to the citizen the reason why a certain thing was done or not done in the sense of a justification because the citizen makes a requisition about information. Justifications are matter within the domain of adjudicating authorities and cannot properly be classified as information." So I request all my friends that we should call for information under the ambit of RTI rules so that there would not have been any denial to the sought information by the Public Authority.  

TA/DA FOR MAILOVERSEERS

Directorate vide letter dated 17-01-2012 has issued orders for grant of full travelling and daily allowances to the Mail Overseers on the recommendation  of Committee on special Allowances, headed by Shri Santosh Gauriar, Chief Postmaster General, Madhya Pradesh Circle.

2.         The recommendations of the Committee have been examined in consultation with the Integrated Finance Wing of the Department and the Competent Authority is pleased to accept the recommendations as below:

(i)         The Mail Overseers will be entitled to normal Travelling and Daily allowances for their journeys beyond Eight Kilometers from their Headquarter Stations and reimbursement of Actual Travelling Expenses for their journeys with the sphere of Eight Kilometers from their Headquarter Stations, in accordance with the Fundamental and Supplementary Rules(Part-II TA Rules)

(ii)        The existing Night Halt Allowance payable to the Mail Overseers is ordered to be withdrawn with immediate effect.

3.         These orders shall take effect from the date of their issue. Expenditure on the TA and DA of the Mail Overseers shall be debited to the normal Travelling Allowance Expenditure Head of the concerned Units/Divisions and be met from their sanctioned grants.

4.         This has been vetted by the Departmental IFW vide their Diary No. 21/FA/12/CS dated 17.1.2012.

LETTER ON MACP TO PMG

All India Association of

Inspector & Asstt Supdt. Posts, Punjab Circle.

Suresh Kumar [President] Supdt RMS “I” Dn. Jalandhar  (M) 9815599387

Hari Mohan [Circle Secretary] DDM(PLI) Chandigarh (M) 9888395400

Balbir Singh [Circle Treasurer] ASP(Court) Circle Office Chandigarh  (M) 9914066754

No. IP/ASP/PB-23                                                                                                dated 16-01/2012

To

            Smt. Ranju Parsad

Postmaster General

            Punjab Region

            Chandigarh-160017

Sub:     Modified Assured Carrier Scheme to Inspector Posts /Asstt Supdt. Posts Cadre

Respected Madam,

I intend to bring to your kind attention one of the areas, where delay is occurring is grant of MACP to IP/ASP.

In this connection, attention is invited to the consolidated instructions on MACP, circulated vide DOP&T’s OM No.35034/3/2008-Estt(D) dated 19/5/2009, which, interalia, provides that in order to prevent undue strain, the Screening Committee shall follow a time-schedule and meet twice in a financial year - preferably in the first week of January and first week of July of a year for advance processing of the all cases for grant of MACP maturing in that half.

Accordingly, cases maturing during the first-half (April-September) of a particular financial year shall be taken up for consideration by the Screening Committee meeting in the first week of January. Similarly, the Screening Committee meeting in the first week of July of any financial year shall process the cases that would be maturing during the second-half (October-March) of the same financial year. Whereas, In Punjab region DPC for grant of 3^rd financial benefit to Sh. Gurdev Singh now allotted to Haryana Circle on promotion and Paramjit Singh ASP  has not been convened till today though it was due in 2008. Despite having clear instructions, in Punjab region IPsASPs are made to suffer that result in considerable frustration amongst IPs/ASPs and this also adversely affect their morale.

In view of the above, it is requested that suitable orders may kindly be passed to put in place immediately and advance planning is done to convene the DPC, not only in the above two cases but also for other eligible officials in time and that the extant orders on the subject are followed, both in letter and spirit.

With Regards.

Yours Faithfully, 

(Hari Mohan)

Circle Secretary

THANKS FOR CONTRIBUTION

I am personally grateful to all the members of the Association for whatsoever you have done for supporting the IPASP Assocation Karnataka through your generous coupon contribution of Rs.28000/- with in no time. I know how much you care about the cause of association and I feel overwhelmed to see your love which all of you manifested through the gesture shown by saying “to little to contribute” give us more. It is for the information of all our members that this was what we received from Karnataka Association for contribution. As such, we have remitted full and final payment as per our share and credited to State Bank of Mysore account no. 64087680443 at IFS code SBMY004022 on 29/12/11. We seven members including office bearers are attending All India Conference at Banglore which is being held from 27^th to 29^th Jan.2012. Points that should be part of discussion are solicited.    

SR. POSTMASTER CAT CASE

Sr. Postmaster CAT case was listed for today. No reply has been filed by the respondents. The case has been adjourned to 1^st March 2012 for filing reply.

HAPPY NEW YEAR-2012

PUNJAB IPASP ASSOCIATION WISHES ALL OF YOU HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR-2012