Central Information Commission Judgements

Mr.Subhash Kumar Singh vs Bharat Cooking Coal Ltd. on 12 November, 2010

Central Information Commission
Mr.Subhash Kumar Singh vs Bharat Cooking Coal Ltd. on 12 November, 2010
                   CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION
                                          .....

F.No.CIC/AT/A/2010/000704
Dated, the 12  November, 2010.

                                                                 th




 Appellant         : Shri Subhash Kumar Singh 
                       
 Respondent        : Bharat Coking Coal Limited, Dhanbad
 s

This matter came up for hearing through videoconference (VC) on 
04.11.2010 pursuant to Commission’s notice dated 12.10.2010. Appellant 
was   present   at   NIC   VC   facility   at   Burdwan,   while   the   respondents   ― 
represented by the CPIO, Shri A.N. Pathak  ―  were present at NIC VC  
facility   at   Dhanbad.     Commission   conducted   the   hearing   from   its   New 
Delhi office.

2. Appellant, through his RTI­application dated 29.03.2010, requested 
disclosure of the following information:­

“1) अअअअअअअ अअ­अअअअअअअ अअअअअअ अअ अअ.अअ.अअ.अअ.  अअ
अअअ अअअअअ अअअअअअअ अअ |

2)   अअअअ अअअअअअ अअअ अअ.  अअअ अअअअ 1994    अअ
अअअअअअ अअअअअ अअअअअअअ अअअअअअअअअअ अअ
अअअअअ अअअअ 1994  अअ अअअ अअअ अअअ अअअ अअअअअअ
अअ.  अअ अअअअअ अअअअअअअअअ अअअअ अअअ अअअअअअ
अअअअ अअअ अअ अअअ अअ अअअअअअ अअअअअअअअअअ
अअअअअ अअ अअअअअ अअअअ अअ अअअअ अअअअ |

अ)   अअअअ 1994  अअ अअ.अअ.अअ.अअ.  अअअ अअअअअअ अअअ
अअअअअअअअअअअअ अअ अअअ अअअअअअ अअअअअ अअ, अअअअ अअअअ
अअअ, अअअ, अअअअअ, अअअअअअअअ अअ अअअअअ अअ अअअ अअअअअ,  
CIC_AT_A_2010_000704_M_45652.doc 
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अअअअअअअअ अअ अअअअअअअअ अअअ अअअअअअअअअ अअअअअअअ अअ
अअअअअ,  अअअअअ 15   अअअअअअ अअअ अअअअअ अअअ अअ अअअ अअ
अअअअअअअअअ अअ अअअ अअअअ अअअअअअअअअ अअ अअअअ अअअअ
अअअअअअअअ अअ अअअअ अअअअ अअअअअअअअ अअअअअअअ अअअ
अअअअअअअअअ अअअअअअअ अअ अअअअअअ अअअअअअ अअ अअअअ /  
Verification अअअअअअ अअअ अअअ अअअअ अअअअअ अअअ अअ अअअअअ,  
अअअअअअअ अअअअअ अअअअअअ अअअअअ /  अअअअअ अअअ अअअ अअ
अअअअ अअअ |
अ) अअअअ 1994  अअ अअअअअअ अअअअअअअअअअ अअअ
अअअअअअअअअअ अअ अअअ अअअअअअअअ अअअअअअअअअ अअ
अअअअअअ अअअअअअ अअ अअअअअअअअअअअ अअअअ अअअअअ
अअअअअअ अअअअअ अअअ |”

3. Through  CPIO’s  communication  dated  06.05.2010,  he was  given 
information relating to point at Sl.No.1 of his RTI­petition, but the other 
information was denied citing Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act.

4. Appellant   has   come­up   in   second­appeal   against   the   above 
decision, which was upheld by the Appellate Authority.

5. It is true that the appellant has asked for a vast array of information 
beginning   with   1994   till   today   in   respect   of   over   2000   Executives 
employed  by the public  authority. Collecting  and collating  this  range of 
information  in the  detailed  manner  appellant  has  sought  will  be both a 
labourious   and   voluminous   exercise,   which   will   inevitably   involve 
diversion of the respondents’ resources.  This shall be covered by Section 
7(9) of the RTI Act.

6. In   the   present   case,   given   the   fact   that   there   are   over   2000 
Executives as of now and if the numbers of those who served the public 
authority since 1994 and were now retired or have left the organization 
were to be added to this number, collecting this information could be a 
difficult and expensive task.

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7. In my  view,  given  the  nature  of  this  query  and  the  range  of the 
information including the details of information, it is not possible to collect 
and collate it for disclosure to appellant.

8. It would be entirely reasonable not to authorize disclosure of such a 
large range of information as requested by the appellant.  It is also to be 
noted that all such information is not held in a central place and will need 
to   be   extrapolated   from   thousands   of   different   files,   documents   and 
records.     Such   an   exercise   is   not   contemplated   under   the   RTI   Act. 
Appellant  may   refer  to   Commission’s   decisions  in  Rajendra   Singh   Vs.  
CBI;   Appeal   No.   CIC/WB/C/2007/00967;   Date   of   Decision:   19.06.2009  
and   Mohd.   Asad   Hyat   Vs.   Registrar   General,   India;   Appeal   No.  
CIC/AT/A/2006/00300; Date of Decision: 13.12.2006.

9. However,   respondents   /   CPIO   may   supply   to   the   appellant   a 
directory  of  officers   as   they   hold  positions   now.     This   is  a  disclosable 
information under Section 4(1)(b)(ix) of RTI Act.  Time  3 weeks.

10. Appeal disposed of with these directions. 

11. Copy of this direction be sent to the parties. 

( A.N. TIWARI )
CHIEF INFORMATION COMMISSIONER

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