Central Information Commission
*****
No.CIC/OK/A/2008/00293
Dated: 21 July 2008
Name of the Appellant : Dr. Tariq Islam
Reader, Department of Philosophy
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh, 202002
Name of the Public Authority : Aligarh Muslim University
Background:
Dr. Tariq Islam of Aligarh filed an RTI-application with the Public
Information Officer, Aligarh Muslim University, on 2007, seeking information on
eights counts, basically relating to the number of mobile sets purchased by the
University since 1 January 2000, list of phone calls to and from the Registrar’s
official mobile from 1 February 2007 to 1 May 2007, etc.
2. The PIO vide his letter dated 25 May 2007 replied to his RTI-application.
Not satisfied with the reply of the PIO, the Appellant filed an appeal with the
first Appellate Authority on 2007 and then approached the Central Information
Commission with a Second Appeal on 26 December 2007.
3. The Bench of Dr. O.P. Kejariwal, Information Commissioner, heard the
matter on 16 July 2008.
4. Shri Md. Arifuddin Ahmed, Deputy Registrar & CPIO, Shri Muzaffer Ahmad
Siddiqi, Proctor, Shri M. Salim Beg, MIC Telephone Department and Shri
Rahimullah Khan, former MIC (Purchase), represented the Respondents.
5. The Appellant, Dr. Tariq Islam, was present alongwith Shri Faisal Zia
Siddiqui.
Decision:
6. The Commission heard both the sides and noted that the RTI-application
revolved around the number of mobile sets purchased by the University and
distributed to its staff members together with record of the phone calls made
from these mobiles. According to the Appellant, although at one stage, the
University had stated that these were official instruments to be used for making
official calls, later they seem to have backtracked and regarded this as personal
information, and hence not provided the list of calls made from these mobiles
to the Applicant.
7. The Commission accepts the submission of the Respondents that calls
made from mobiles, even though granted by the office, are personal in nature
and so covered under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI-Act. Moreover, it regards the
issue as infructuous.
8. The case is thus disposed of.
Sd/-
(O.P. Kejariwal)
Information Commissioner
Authenticated true copy:
Sd/-
(G. Subramanian)
Assistant Registrar
Cc:
1. Dr. Tariq Islam, Reader, Department of Philosophy, Aligarh Muslim
University, Aligarh, 202002
2. The Public Information Officer, Aligarh Muslim University, Ground Floor,
Administrative Block, Aligarh
3. The Appellate Authority, Aligarh Muslim University, Ground Floor,
Administrative Block, Aligarh
4. Officer Incharge, NIC
5. Press E Group, CIC