Times of India: Chennai: Saturday, August 05, 2017.
What was the
insurance paid to The Chennai Silks after a fire gutted the company's T Nagar
showroom? That is something that many people in the city have wondered. But The
New India Assurance Company Ltd (NIA), the insurer of Chennai Silks, says
providing this information would infringe upon the firm's privacy.
NIA which is
a Government of India-owned firm, said so while replying to an RTI application
filed by a T Nagar resident.
B Kannan, a
resident of Rangan street in T Nagar, sought to know if Chennai Silks had a
fire insurance policy issued. "...whether compliance with respect to fire
safety norms for the (T Nagar) building was insisted upon and obtained, before
issue of policy," asks Kannan's application dated June 21. The queries
also sought details on the documents submitted by The Chennai Silks to obtain
the policy.
The central
public information officer for NIA, Gomathi Sharma, in her response to Kannan
dated July 27 said, "As M/s Chennai Silks, Chennai has raised objection in
providing the information. We are not in a position to furnish the information
to you," and cited the Rule 8(1) sub-clause (j) to deny the information.
"Why was
Chennai Silks informed of my petition? The details sought are not of a personal
nature, doesn't intrude into privacy and matters to larger public, especially
after the fire accident," Kannan said.
RTI activists
said it suggests the company must have overlooked norms to issue a policy. V
Lakshmi Narayanan, who researches aspects of RTI Act, said NIA's reply suggests
the company is looking to cover up a mistake. "This response is peculiar
especially as the CMDA and fire department have many times submitted before the
Madras high court that T Nagar buildings violate approved plan," he said.
RTI activist V Gopalakrishnan said since NIA would have paid the insurance sum
out of a public fund, as it is state-owned, Kannan had every right as a
taxpayer to seek and receive details.
Attempts to
contact representatives of NIA's Coimbatore Regional Office failed.