CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Information Commission has directed officials of the Greater Chennai Corporation to visit the residence of a 79-year-old man and conduct an inquiry into the rejection of his wife’s application for the Urimai Thogai scheme.
The direction was issued by State Information Commissioner Atulya Misra on July 29 while disposing of a petition filed by Vidhya Sankar of T Nagar, who had sought information under the RTI Act on the reasons for rejection of his wife’s application for the monthly assistance.
During the hearing, a GCC representative informed the commission that replies to the RTI queries had already been furnished. The applicant, however, submitted his objections. According to GCC, the woman’s application had been rejected on the ground that the annual family income exceeded `2.5 lakh, one of the eligibility criteria.
Corporation officials informed the panel that applications for the scheme are largely submitted online and that physical records are therefore not maintained in some cases. It, however, noted that the senior citizen couple could have faced difficulties or made errors while applying online for the scheme. The commission directed the GCC’s public information officer to arrange for the appropriate officials to visit the applicant’s residence, verify the documents relating to application and submit the report of the action taken into the matter on or before August 31.
