The
Tribune: Ludhiana: Thursday, June 27, 2019.
The
Public Information Officer, Excise and Taxation Department, here has informed
that one woman official, ETO, provided information to the office regarding the
“gift” received by her father on her wedding anniversary. The information was
provided by the officer in reply to an RTI filed by local activist Rohit
Sabharwal.
The
RTI activist, on November 30, 2018, had filed an application seeking
information on providing a certified copy of the relevant rule showing the
monetary limit fixed by the Punjab Government and public servants crossing it
are bound to declare gifts received by them and information showing the total
number of public servants (in the department) who have declared the gifts
received by them from October 1, 2017, till November 30, 2018.
Replying
to Sabharwal’s query on Tuesday (June 25, 2019), the Public Information Officer
of the Excise and Taxation Department provided information that during this
period, only one woman ETO got Rs 3 lakh as wedding gift by her father on her
third wedding anniversary.
The
amount was transferred in her account. There was no other information with the
department on gifts received by other officials, claimed the department.
Sabharwal
said, “In the run-up to Divali, officials are flooded with gifts in the
department, but none reports about these to their respective departments. But
it has been made mandatory by the government (in the service rules) to provide
all such information.
Commenting
on the particular RTI, an official of the department, wishing not to be quoted,
said, “It is not only in this department that gifts are given. Officials in
other departments too are obliged on the eve of Divali and none reports about
the gifts received by him/her. Officials do not go to people and ask for gifts.
Only if people visit and offer gifts do they accept them. It is a
long-established trend, there is nothing new in it.”
Information
sought
The
RTI activist, on November 30, 2018, had filed an application seeking
information on providing a certified copy of the relevant rule showing the
monetary limit fixed by the Punjab Government and public servants crossing it
are bound to declare gifts received by them and information showing the total
number of public servants (in the department) who have declared the gifts
received by them from October 1, 2017, till November 30, 2018.
Information
provided
Replying
to Sabharwal’s query on Tuesday (June 25, 2019), the Public Information Officer
of the Excise and Taxation Department provided information that during this
period, only one woman ETO got Rs 3 lakh as wedding gift by her father on her
third wedding anniversary. The amount was transferred in her account. There was
no other information with the department on gifts received by other officials,
claimed the department.
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