Central Information Commission
CIC/AD/A/2009/000484
Dated August 7, 2009
Name of the Applicant : Shri Gautam Kothari
Name of the Public Authority : RNI, New Delhi
Background
1. The Applicant filed three RTI application on the same date ie.dt.3.11.08 with
the CPIO, RNI, New Delhi. He requested for documents related to the
registration of a ‘Chautha Prahari’ and the newspaper ‘Jai News and Feature
Alliance’ which was registered in 1988, starting from the time of request till
the time of RTI application in two applications. . In the third application he
requested for information about the approval of the title ‘Pitampur Audyogik
Sangathan’ . He also requested for inspection of records in all three cases.
On 10.2.08 the CPIO provided the information stating that information in
respect of ‘Chautha Prahari’ and ‘Jai News and Feature Alliance’ is not
available with the Public Authority. With regard to the Pitampur Audyogik
Sangathan, as per the records of the office, the registration has not been
done with them and the title has not been allotted to any one. Not satisfied
with the reply, the Applicant filed an appeal dt.16.2.09 with the Appellate
Authority. The Appellate Authority replied on 16.3.09 stating that information
has already been provided and added that the registration of the weekly
‘Chautha Prahari’ was done in 1988 and that of ‘Jai News and Feature Alliance
in 2002’. Since these registrations are old, documents relating to them are
not available. He also added that the RNI maintains a registration register
and details are entered in the register. With regard to the title Pitampur
Audyogik Sanghathan, he added that the same has not been registered in his
office and therefore no documents in this regard are available. The applicant
filed a second appeal dt.23.3.09 before CIC.
2. The Bench of Mrs. Annapurna Dixit, Information Commissioner, scheduled the
hearing for August 7, 2009.
3. Mr. S. L. Shah, Asstt. Press Registrar cum CPIO and Mr. R.K. Sharma,
Section officer represented the Public Authority.
4. The Applicant was heard through audio conferencing during the hearing.
Decision
5. The Respondent submitted that as already intimated to the Appellant,
information regarding registration of the Chautha Prahari weekly and Jai News
Feature Alliance are not available since records more than 3 years old are
destroyed as per the Record Retention Schedule of RNI, F. No.D-29014/1/91-
Admn. dated 3.10.1995. He also added that only registers in which entries
of newspapers have been made are maintained by RNI but not any files .
This information was ince again intimated to the Appellant over the telephone
during the hearing. As requested by the Appellant,, the Commission directs
the CPIO to provide a certified copy of the relevant Section of the Record
Retention Schedule of RNI to the Appellant by 30th August, 2009. With
regard to the information about Pitam Pura Audyogik Sanghathan, the
Commission noted that information has already been provided.
6. The appeal is accordingly disposed of.
(Annapurna Dixit)
Information Commissioner
Authenticated true copy:
(G.Subramanian)
Asst. Registrar
Cc:
1. Shri Gautam Kothari
H.No.231, Saket Nagar
Indore 452 016
Madhya Pradesh
2. The CPIO
O/o Registrar of
Newspapers for India
West Block-8, Wing No.2
R.K.Puram
New Delhi
3. The Appellate Authority
O/o Registrar of
Newspapers for India
West Block-8, Wing No.2
R.K.Puram
New Delhi
4. Officer in charge, NIC
5. Press E Group, CIC