Ms.E.G.Jayalakshmi W/o E.Gnana Sekhar Nadu Street Chinthalapattadai @ V.P.R. Pet B.O.Nagari S.O. 517 590 Chittoor Andhra Pradesh filed an RTI application dt.18.2.09 with the CPIO, DoP, Chengalpattu requesting for information regarding the money claimed by her sister from the MIS accounts opened by her late father in which both she and her sister’s names were given as nominees. The CPIO replied on 3.3.09 denying the information u/s 8(1)(e). Not satisfied with the reply, the Aapplicant filed an appeal dt.1.4.09 with the Appellate authority stating that all the accounts held in her father’s name had either both her and her sister or one of them as nominees. The Appellate Authority replied on 30.4.09 upholding the decision of the CPIO. Being aggrieved with the reply, the Applicant filed a second appeal dt.nil before CIC reiterating her request for the information.
The Bench of Mrs. Annapurna Dixit, Information Commissioner scheduled the hearing for October 22, 2009. The Respondents were not present during the hearing. The Applicant was heard through audio conference.
Decision
The Appellant stated that her father had expired last year and that he left only a list of the MIS Accounts he held in the Post Office along with the dates on which he had opened the accounts and the maturity dates. When asked by the Commission as to whether she has the account Nos, she replied in the negative. She added that all the documents are with her sister and requested for copies of the certificates of those accounts in which her late father had named her as the nominee as she feared that her sister would otherwise grab the money by fraud.
The Commission holds that duplicate certificates cannot be issued to the Appellant as the originals are already with her sister. However, the Commission directs the CPIO to provide certified photocopies of all the Certificates in which she is a nominee either singly or jointly with her sister, once the Appellant provides details she possesses about the certificates including the maturity dates, maturity amounts, name of her late father etc. to the CPIO as these details are required for locating the copies of certificates in the Post Office. Information to be provided by 15 November, 2009 to the Appellant.
