JEHANGIR RASHID
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Jan 4: In this age when everything ought to be clear and transparent, the service book of an employee is no more a personal property. Any person can seek a copy of the service book of an employee if he or she has any doubt whatsoever about the integrity of the said employee.
However, the same does not hold true with Professor Seema Naz, former Principal, Institute of Advanced Studies in Education (IASE) Srinagar. Prof Seema who is at present discharging her duties as Principal of Government Degree College, Pampore has issued a legal notice to a Right to Information (RTI) applicant who had sought a copy of her service book.
The advocate hired by Prof Seema has served the legal notice to the RTI applicant namely Nadeem Khan through the Principal (IASE) Srinagar. The advocate has in the legal notice written that the information about the service book cannot be given to the RTI applicant since it is personal and the same is also in violation of the RTI Act.
"Since the information sought by the seeker is purely personal information of my client, the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or interest and if given, is likely to cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy of my client. The said information is prohibited under sub-section 1 (i) of Section 8 of the Act," reads the legal notice.
The legal notice further reads, "Therefore, you are requested and intimated that no information regarding my client be provided to the applicant namely Mr. Nadeem Khan as it would be purely illegal and violation of RTI Act and be notified, that in case any information is conveyed to the seeker, my client reserves the right to initiate appropriate legal proceedings against you on your responsibility and risk."
The RTI applicant is quite perplexed over the legal notice and he believes that there is no harm in seeking a copy of the service book of an employee adding that the service is a public property and not private one as claimed by Prof Seema through her attorney. He is determined to take the fight towards its logical conclusion.
It would be in place to mention here that Prof Seema was transferred from IASE Srinagar (formerly College of Education, Srinagar) after a period of 21 years and posted as Principal of Degree College, Pampore in South Kashmir's Pulwama district. Although Prof Seema had completed her post graduation in Psychology she did her PhD in the subject of Education. |
