The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday rejected a PIL petition questioning the legality of payment of pension to the State Information Commissioners (SECs).
The court said Section 16(5)(b) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, makes it clear that SECs are entitled to salaries and allowances payable to and other terms and conditions of service same as that of the Chief Secretary to the State government, and hence, they are also entitled to pension on the lines of that payable to Chief Secretary.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the order while rejecting the petition filed by social activist G.B. Athri, a retired wing commander of the Indian Air Force. The petitioner had filed the petition in 2017 questioning a notification issued by the State government in January 2013 on pension payable to the SECs.
It was contended in the petition that RTI Act has no provision for payment of pension for the SECs and decision of the government to pay the pension has caused huge loss to the State exchequer.
