Irked by the non-response to an appeal by RTI applicant on missing of his applications from NHAI records, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has ordered a ‘thorough enquiry’ and fix responsibility on erring officers.
The case pertains to DP Majhi, presently working as Under Secretary in the HRD Ministry, who had sought information from NHAI through RTI in June 2013. Neither the documents were provided nor there was any response from NHAI in this regard prompting the CIC in its January 2014 order that the road making agency has admitted that Majhi's application for absorption in NHAI under three posts was received which is also evident by the copy of a diary receipt. Majhi needed documents for an ongoing hearing on a petition before Justices BD Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul in the Delhi High Court.
Taking a strong exception, the Commission directed NHAI Chairman that a “thorough enquiry may be conducted by an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary to look into the case of the missing applications and fix responsibility”. The enquiry be completed within three weeks and findings intimated to the appellant and the Commission.
However, though three months, instead of three weeks as stipulated by the CIC, elapsed yet no enquiry report was received. When contacted, Col (Retd) Khushwant Singh, CGM (Technical), NHAI and the Enquiry Officer in this matter was refused to comment on his enquiry report and said he was on a site meeting and cannot divulge the detail, however, sources in NHAI said that the report has been submitted.
Meeta Singh, IRS, now Addl Director (Income Tax) who confirmed receiving applications from the aggrieved HRD official in her capacity as then GM (HR/A)-II on deputation in NHAI, said vested interests at NHAI had conspired against officials of HR/A-II division. “Instead of rectifying irregularities, as directed by the Delhi High Court in WP 617/2009, or punishing guilty responsible for the same, the officers, who took initiatives to correct it, were punished and irregularities covered. A CBI enquiry would make the record straight,” Meeta stressed.
In yet another similar case, senior official Vishnu Darbari's complaint on missing file of absorption of VK Sharma without the “vigilance clearance” upon his induction, the CIC ordered for “trace out the missing file” of Sharma. NHAI Member (Finance) Satish Chandra, IAS is separately conducting an enquiry in this regard.