Central Information Commission
CIC/AD/C/X/09/00017
Dated February 5, 2009
Name of the Appellant : Mr.Wadood Sajid
Name of the Public Authority : Registrar of News Papers for India
Background
1. The Appellant filed an RTI application dt.1.9.08 with the CPIO, Registrar of
Newspapers of India. He requested for information against 17 points with
regard to one of the four titles viz, Urdu Hindustan, Roznama Al Hind,
Roznama Hindustan, Akhbar Al Hind for which they applied on 21.7.08 and
which was rejected without any reason. The CPIO replied on 17.10.08 giving
point wise information, the gist of which is given below:
i) Roznama Al Hind was not verified because of the similarity of the tile
Al Hind which is already registered.
ii) By prefixing the workd Akhbar with the title Al Hind the meaning does
not change. The main word remain Al Hind comes under the provision of
Section 6 of PRB Act 1867
iii) As per section 6 of PRB Act, the newspaper proposed to be published
should not bear a title which is same as or similar to that of any other
newspaper published either in the same language or in the same state.
iv) Press Registrar is the final authority to approve any title.
The Appellant filed a complaint dt.25.11.08 before CIC.
2. The Bench of Mrs. Annapurna Dixit, Information Commissioner, scheduled the
hearing on February 5, 2009.
3. Mr. S.L. Shah, Asstt. Press Registrar & CPIO and Mr. R.K. Sharma, S.O.
represented the Public Authority.
4. The Appellant came a few minutes late to the hearing, after the Respondents
left.
Decision
5. The Respondents submitted that they had provided all the available
information. However, after hearing the submission of the Appellant that no
straight forward answers has been provided to any of the queries raised by
them and that no supporting document has been provided along with the
information, the Commission directs the appellant to provide comments
against each of the answers given, which are , according to them, incomplete
or misleading, within 5 days of the receipt of this Order to the Respondents
and the Respondents to furnish detailed point-wise available information
against the comments within 10 days of the receipt of the comments from
the appellant.
6. The Commission also directs the CPIO to show cause as to why a penalty of
Rs.250/- per day should not be imposed on him for not providing the
information within the mandatory period as given in the RTI Actin a
mandatory period.
7. The appeal is disposed off.
(Annapurna Dixit)
Information Commissioner
Authenticated true copy:
(K.G.Nair)
Designated Officer
Cc:
1. M.Wadood Sajid
306, 2nd Floor
Main Road
Zakir Nagar
New Delhi
2. The PIO &
The Asst. Press Registrar
O/o Registrar of News Papers for India
West Block- 8, Wing No.2
R.K.Puram, New Delhi 110 066
3. Officer in charge, NIC
4. Press E Group, CIC