Make LTC scam details public: CIC to Space Dept

NEW DELHI: The Central Information Commission has asked the Department of Space to make public details of investigation against officials who have allegedly misused their Leave Travel Concession which was pointed out the CVC.

It was admitted by the Department of Space (DOS) that several cases from its Bangalore office have come to its knowledge after cross-verification from Air India where employees had allegedly made false claims against their LTC facility.

During the hearing, the DOS stated that it had received a complaint from the CVC in 2011 regarding irregularities in respect of LTCS availed of by its officials and misuse of this facility.

“They wrote a letter to all the ISRO centres to check the LTC records w.e.f. September, 2008 and take action in those cases where false LTC claims had been made. Subsequently, 444 cases in respect of the Bangalore office were identified for verification through Air India,” Information Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal said.

The case relates to one Sunil Kumar N K of ISRO who sought the information about alleged misuse of LTC by the employees of the premier organisation since 2008. The information was denied to him citing exemption clause permitting the exclusion of such information from disclosure. “Out of the above 444 cases, verification report was received in the past from Air India in 386 cases and after checking the records, recovery was ordered from six officials. A second report has been received from Air India in respect of the remaining cases and is being examined,” he said.