Commission slams Southern Railway

The Central Information Commission has asked the Southern Railway to provide information relating to tatkal charges to the Coimbatore Consumer Cause (CCC) without even the fee while disposing of a second appeal filed by the CCC objecting to the demand for salaries for two staff for extracting and providing the information.A release from the secretary of CCC, K. Kathirmathiyon, said “since tatkal was nothing but legalising black marketing for a premium fare, the CCC decided to take up the issue with the High Court.Hence, we sought details of tatkal fare from Southern Railways, Chennai.”

The information was sought under section 6 (1) of Right to Information Act regarding the details of tickets and charges for tatkal tickets in respect of Southern Railways, Chennai.The Public Information Officer, Southern Railway, informed that the information ran to 11 pages and demanded Rs. 1,222 (Rs. 22 for 11 pages and Rs. 1,200 as two days ‘salary’ for the staff deputed for extracting the information.)Since there was no provision in the rules for demanding the salary of the official or staff involved in providing the information, an appeal was preferred under section 19 (1) of the Act to the Appellate Authority i.e., Chief Public Information Officer (CPIO), Southern Railways, Chennai by sending a draft for Rs. 22.

It was specifically pointed out that there was no provision for demanding salary for persons involved in providing the information. But the Appellate Authority refused to accept it and confirmed the decision of the Public Information Officer demanding Rs. 1,222 and the draft was returned to the applicant. Hence, a second appeal was filed before the Central Information Commission, New Delhi.The Commission said: “Unfortunately the CPIO had erred. As per the prescribed Cost and Fee Rules under the RTI Act, a CPIO is expected to collect charges for photo copy of the relevant documents at the rate of Rs. 2 per page. Collection of service charges in the form of wages of staff, as has been done by the CPIO in this case was not permissible under the provisions of the Act. "

Hence, it directed the CPIO to furnish the documents asked for by the appellant free of cost since more than 30 days had already lapsed from the date of receipt of RTI application."The documents should be supplied within 15 working days from the date of issue of this decision, " it said.The Railways had to provide the information even without the fee of Rs. 22, Mr. Kathirmathiyon said.

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