Some government officials often tend to make people visit the office several times to obtain documents. Although they can issue the document in one day, they often tend not to issue the document even after one year. While some officials do it for bribes, some do this because of their reluctance to do the work. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan often reminds us that every file is a life, but that has not crossed the minds of the majority of government officials. It is shocking that some government officials have acted in a similar manner towards their colleagues as well. The incident where a group of officials hid the service book of their colleague for 23 years is one such shocking incident. Information Commissioner AA Hakim also ordered that revenue recovery would be initiated if the fine is not paid by September 5.

The commission has taken action against retired superintendents M M Sivaraman, S Prasad, Superintendent S J Kavita and clerks K B Geethumol and J Revathi of the Idukki DMO office. The incident took place at the Idukki District Medical Office. The officials had claimed that the service book of former Deputy District Health and Education Officer T C Jayaraj, which was sent to the AG's office in 2000, had not been returned. They told this lie either because they hesitated to find the service book or on purpose. Therefore, even after the retirement of Jayaraj, his details, including the annual increment, could not be entered in the service book. His pension was also not determined. Meanwhile, Jayaraj died of cancer. Yet, the officials did not bother to find the service book. Even when Jayaraj's family applied under the Right to Information Act through a lawyer in Nilambur, the officials gave the reply that the service book was not returned from the AG's office. Following this, the family approached the commission. Following the intervention of the commission, the service book was found within 24 hours.

The officials who lied about the service book of their own colleague are the ones who got punished. Such officers are not eligible to continue in any service. If this is their attitude towards their own colleague, then one can easily imagine their attitude towards the common man who approaches that office.

The government should come up with a law to collect a monthly penalty from the officials who do not submit their pension documents within the stipulated time. Provision should also be made for providing a duplicate of a document if it is irretrievably lost.