Central Information Commission
Room No. 5, Club Building, Near Post Office
Old J.N.U. Campus, New Delhi - 110067
Tel No: 26161997
Case No. CIC/SS/A/2010/000101
Name of Appellant : Sh. Balasaheb Tanajiroa Gambhir
(The Appellant was not present)
Name of Respondent : M/o Home Affairs
(Represented by Sh. D. Majumdar,
Director and Sh. H. K. Kawllien Thang,
Under Secretary )
The matter was heard on : 21.06.2010
ORDER
Sh. Balasaheb Tanajiroa Gambhir, filed an application dated 5.10.2009, sought following
information from the Respondent Public Authority as follows:
“a) Name & address of each donation Recipient Associations (Organizations) reporting receipt
of foreign contribution to Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi, with the name of respective Donor
Agencies from the following State/Union Territory Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh.
b) The amount of foreign contribution (donation) received by each Recipient Associations
(Organizations) reporting receipts of foreign Contribution to Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi,
from the State/Union Territory Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Madhya Pradesh.”
The CPIO, vide his letter dated 19.10.2009 replies as follows:
(a) State wise details of the associations registered/granted prior permission under Foreign
Contribution (Regulating) Act (FCRA), 1976, is available on the website of this Ministry
i.e. https:mha.nic.in/fcra.htm
(b) The Association registered under FCRA are required to submit annual returns on receipt
and utilization of foreign contribution. Based on the information furnished, an Annual
Report on Receipt and Utilization of Foreign Contribution by Voluntary Associations is
prepared. The annual Report contains details of total amount of foreign contribution
received, the list of top recipients, top donors, top recipients States, districts etc. The
Annual Report for the year 20042005 to 200607 are available on the website of this
Ministry. The Annual Report for the year 200708 is under preparation.”
Not satisfied with reply of the PIO, the Appellant filed an appeal before the First
Appellate Authority (FAA). The FAA vide order dated 11.11.2009 by and large agreed with
the reply of the PIO and upheld the reply of PIO. Hence, the present appeal before the
Commission.
During the hearing the Respondent submit that the requisite reply had been sent
timely to the Appellant and all the desired information is available on the website of the
Public Authority. The Respondents further submit that furnishing of such huge information
would disproportionately diver the resources of the Public Authority.
After hearing the Respondent and on perusal of the relevant documents the
Commission deems it fit to direct the PIO to provide the information available on website
in a hard copy, within 15 days of receipt of this order. However, keeping in view the fact
that information not available on the website is in numerous files and furnishing of such a
huge information may disproportionately divert the resources of Public Authority, the
Respondents in this regard are directed to allow inspection of the concerned files, to the
Appellant for three hours on any date mutually convenient to the parties. The Respondents
are hereby advised their records relating to FCRA are cataloged and computerized, so that
access to such record can be facilitate under the RTI Act.
With these directions the matter is disposed off.
(Sushma Singh)
Information Commissioner
28.09.2010