CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION
Club Building, Opposite Ber Sarai Market,
Old JNU Campus, New Delhi - 110067.
Tel: +91-11-26161796
Decision No. CIC/SG/C/2011/001244/15235
Complaint No. CIC/SG/C/2011/001244
COMPLAINT REMANDED TO : First Appellate Authority
DC (City Zone),
Multilevel Under Car Parking,
Asaf Ali Road, Delhi-110006.
Complainant : Mohd. Arfeen
S/o Late Mohd. Ahmed,
R/o 2947, Ground Floor, Gali Nalwali,
Shah Ganj, Ajmeri Gate,
Delhi-110006.
Public Information Officer : Public Information Officer
O/o Suptdg. Engineer,
City Zone, Multilevel Under Car
Parking, Asaf Ali Road, Delhi-110006.
Facts
arising from the Complaint:
The Complainant had filed a RTI application with the PIO on 17/08/2011 asking for certain
information. He received a reply from the PIO, which he found unsatisfactory. The
Complainant therefore filed a Complaint with the Commission (15/09/2011) under Section
18 of the RTI Act.
It must be noted that there is an alternate and efficacious remedy of First Appeal available
under section 19(1) of the RTI Act. It appears that the Complainant has failed to avail the
same in the instant case. Consequently, the First Appellate Authority (FAA) has not had the
chance to review the PIO’s decision as envisaged under the RTI Act.
Decision
In view of the aforesaid, the instant mater is remanded to the FAA.
The Commission hereby directs the FAA to treat the copy of the Complaint (enclosed
herewith) as the First Appeal and decide the matter in accordance with the provisions of the
RTI Act after giving all concerned parties an opportunity to be heard.
The FAA is directed to peruse all the relevant documents during the hearing and examine
whether the information provided by the PIO is complete, relevant and correct. Where the
FAA is satisfied that the information provided by the PIO is as per the records, the First
Appeal shall be disposed of. In the event, there are any deficiencies in the information
provided by the PIO, the FAA shall direct the PIO to provide the complete information in
reply to the RTI application to the Complainant.
The Complaint is disposed of.
Notice of this decision be given free of cost to the parties.
Shailesh Gandhi
Information Commissioner
20 October 2011
Enclosed: Copy of Complaint dated 15-09-2011
Copy of PIO's reply dated 05-09-2011; and
Copy of RTI application dated 17-08-2011