Mr. Brojen Kumar Bora vs Ministry Of External Affairs, … on 17 December, 2008

           Central Information Commission
                                              CIC/OK/C/2008/00439/AD
                                                Dated December 17, 2008

Name of the Appellant          :        Mr. Brojen Kumar Bora,
                                        257, Nazarpur Road,
                                        Chanmari,
                                        Guwahati - 781003,


Name of Public Authority       :        The C.P.I.O. RTI,
                                        Ministry of External Affairs,
                                        Regional Passport Office,
                                        Beltola Road, Guwahati - 781028
Background

1.   The Appellant filed two RTI applications dated 31.1.08. In the first one,
     the Appellant requested for information on the status of his passport
     application & in the second one he asked whether the passports are
     yet to be issued in respect of five cases and also whether any
     monitoring system exists, if there are delays in police verification. On
     not receiving any reply from the CPIO the Appellant filed his complaint
     before the CIC on 24.03.08 .


2.   The Bench of Mrs. Annapurna Dixit, Information Commissioner,
     scheduled the hearing for December 17, 2008.


3.   Mr. T. Armstrong Changsan, regional Passport Officer (Guwahati)
     represented the public Authority


4.   The Appellant was not present during the hearing.


Decision

5.   The Respondents submitted that passports in two of the 5 cases have
     already been issued while in one case the file was closed since the
     applicant did not respond on time. With regard to applicant no.3, the
     police report has yet to be received     and the verification has to be
       done by the Office of the Inspector General, Special Branch,
      Kahilipara, Guwahati. The Commission directs the          CPIO of the
      Regional Passport Office to send a      reminder to the Office of the
      Inspector General Special Police (Guwahati) for verification in the case
      of applicant no. 3 (in the RTI application) and inform the Appellant the
      status of the Passport within one month of receipt of the Order.


6.    The complaint is disposed off.
                                                           (Annapurna Dixit)
                                                   Information Commissioner
Authenticated true copy:


(K.G.Nair)
Designated Officer
Cc:
1.    Mr. Brojen Kumar Bora,
      257, Nazarpur Road,
      Chanmari,
      Guwahati - 781003.

2.    The C.P.I.O. RTI,
      Ministry of External Affairs,
      Regional Passport Office,
      Beltola Road, Guwahati - 781028
      .

3. The First Appellate Authority – RTI
Ministry of External Affairs,
Regional Passport Office,
Beltola Road, Guwahati – 781028

4. O/oThe Inspector General
Special Branch, Office of the (IGSP)
Kahilipara, Guwahati.

5. Press E Group, CIC