PRR invokes RTI in 'public interest'

April 16, 2014      

The Central Public Information Officer,

Reserve Bank of India

Central  Office

Mumbai

(Through RBI, Thiruvananthapuram)

Dear Sir,

Right to Information Act, 2005

According to a recent circular issued by the RBI Officers’ Association, the Bank is reported to have conveyed to it that the Government has given its(in principle ) nod for the Bank’s proposal for revision of pension to its  pensioners provided certain conditions put forth by the former are agreed to.  Almost  all the conditions relate to the serving personnel.  The Government is understood to have added that “such a course of action would be most appropriate and desirable in public interest”.  (emphasis added ).

The present development has demolished conclusively the mythical conviction of the Bank’s Top Management which is on record having asserted,  unequivocally, that the issue  being a “simple” one is capable of early resolution, as “ the Government is not against updation, but only against illegal updation”  -- yet another ill founded view of the Government.

The matter calls for special attention, also in view of the following:-

(1)  The Government had, hitherto, taken the stand in different fora  that it had not issued to the Bank any statutorily binding order.  The invocation of the concept of “public interest” indicates a distinct deviation  in its perceptions  which has wider ramifications viewed in the context of the provision of  section 7 of the Reserve Bank of India Act.

b)  The several documents already accessed under the RTI Act do not reveal a single instance where the Government had invoked the concept of “public interest”.  It is not known whether this was ever projected or attempted to be projected during any of its interactions with the Bank on the issue.

c)  ‘Public interest’ in so far as it relates  to “updation”  of pension can only be in making improvements therein and certainly not in delaying or denying them by correlating the issue with wholly unrelated issues such as compensation package to the existing personnel.

d)  On the whole, the attempt  at invocation of the concept of “public interest” in this issue which had been remaining  unresolved for an   unduly long period of almost a decade appears to be preposterous, misconceived and, perhaps, motivated.

2)  The Bank having conveyed, with no signs of reservation,  the Government’s stand,  portrays itself as being tacitly in agreement with the same including the concept of “public interest”.

3)  In the  light  of the foregoing. I seek under section 6 of the Right to Information Act the following.

i)  Copy of the in-house note/opinion based on which the Bank has found it appropriate to go with the Government’s stand involving the concept of ‘public interest’ in the issue pertaining to revision of pension of a numerically insignificant section of pensioners juxtaposed    with the issue concerning wage structure etc of a relatively large number of serving personnel. 

ii)  Copies of  records (e.g. notes, minutes, etc.), if any, or extracts thereof evidencing the Government’s stand invoking the concept of ‘public interest’ in relation to pension updation (This can, for  the sake of convenience, pertain to the period from the close of 2011  when a formal request for clearance was sought from the Government).

4  The prescribed fee of Rs.10/- is enclosed.

Yours faithfully.

P. R. R. NAYAR , 4D, Wind brook Place,  Vellayambalam, Trivandrum - 10,  Tel: 2722602

Forwarded by Shri L.R.Parab