Business Standard: New Delhi: Wednesday,
September 21, 2016.
BJP MLA
Vijender Gupta's wife today moved Delhi High Court against a Central
Information Commission (CIC) order that councillors would be individually
responsible for recommending ineligible persons for pension scheme meant for
senior citizens and disabled.
Gupta's wife,
a councillor from Rohini zone of North MCD, was asked by CIC to explain how she
had authorised disbursal of pension to a woman who was not eligible for it.
CIC's May 13
order came on the plea by one Charanjit Singh Bhatia who had filed an RTI
application in Chief Minister's office saying his wife was not getting
disability pension she was entitled to.
"There
was an endorsement and signature by area councillor Shobha Vijender, along with
a seal of approval. In that application, her (applicant's wife) age was shown
as 69 years. Officers of North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) agreed that
with monthly income admitted as Rs 27,000 plus by the applicant, his wife was
not entitled to get pension," the CIC had said in its order.
"The
commission requires Shobha Vijender to explain... why an ineligible applicant
was recommended for the pension in glaring violation of income norms."
Shobha
Vijender, however, in her petition filed through advocate Sanjeev Sahay and
Aditya Sharma has stated that the "Information Commissioner (IC) has
passed ex-facie erroneous, unconstitutional and illegal order which is liable
to be set aside forthwith."
"The
order has been passed without even giving an opportunity of hearing.
Fundamental rights of the petitioner have been infringed. The Petitioner is not
the authority which sanctions pension. As per DMC Act, pensions are sanctioned
by the Commissioner of NDMC".
The plea
could not be heard as Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, before whom it was listed, was
on leave today. The matter has now been listed for October 24.
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