Central Information Commission
CIC/AD/C/2009/000446
Dated July 29, 2009
Name of the Applicant : Mr.Praveen Kapoor
Name of the Public Authority : M/o Information & Broadcasting
Background
1. The Applicant filed an RTI application dt.26.2.09 with the CPIO, M/o I&B. He
requested for the following information:
a) Expenditure incurred on renovation and furniture on the Prasar Bharati
Board office including CEO’s office for the year 2007-2008.
b) Expenditure incurred on residential accommodation of staff including
CEO’s residence for the year 2007-08.
c) Rent paid for the office accommodation of Prasar Bharati Board
including CEO’s office for the year 2007-2008.
d) Expenditure on the salary of officers & staff working in Prasar Bharati
Board office for the year 2007-2008.
e) Expenditure on the office vehicle including rented vehicle used by
Prasar Bharati Board officers & staff for the year 2007-08.
f) Expenditure on BES incurred by all the AIR & DD station/offices
including TA & DA paid to the officers for attending the BES EXPO for the year
2007-08.
On not receiving any reply, he filed an appeal dt.16.4.09 with the Appellate
Authority. On still not receiving any reply, he preferred an appeal before the
CIC on 19.5.09. The CIC considered this as a complaint and vide its Order
dated .25.6.09 directed the PIO to provide the information sought by the
Appellant by 15.7.2009 and also to showcause why a penalty of Rs, 250 per
day should not be imposed on him for not replying in time to the RTI request.
2. The Bench of Mrs. Annapurna Dixit, Information Commissioner, scheduled the
hearing for July 29, 2009.
3. Mr. George Kuruvilla, Director (Tech) & CPIO represented the Public
Authority.
4. The Applicant was not present during the hearing.
Decision
5. The Respondent submitted his explanation for the delay in furnishing the
information. He stated that information against points (a) to (e) of the RTI
request was compiled on time but information was not provided within the
stipulated period of one month since the information against Point (f) had still
to be collected from around 300 AIR/DD centres from all over India.
However, in response to the first appeal the first Appellate Authority sent the
information against points (a) to (e) on 6.5.09 since it was by then agreed to
that the different AIR/DD stations would provide information directly to the
Complainant. According to the Respondent the Appellate Authority sent the
information by speed post on 6.5. 09 but the same was returned with the
postman’s remarks that no such person with the name of Mr. Praveen Kapoor
lives at the given address . Also, the information sent directly to the
Complainant by speed post by at least around 20 AIR/DD stations including
Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Mizoram, Aizwal, Patna, Bhubaneshwar, Simla and
Bangalore too were returned with the remarks on the envelope that no such
person was found at the given address. According to CPIO’s written
submission to the Commission dated 3.7.09, the Appellant seems to have
used a fictitious address in his RTI request and that there is no willful
slackness in providing information on the part of the concerned CPIOs.
Although the Complainant is not available at the address given, the
Commission directs the CPIO, Prasar Bharti Secretariat to ensure that the
information from the remaining stations too is collected by 1st September
2009 and to update the database of the Prasar Bharati Secretariat so that
information is readily available to information seekers.
6. The complaint is accordingly disposed of.
(Annapurna Dixit)
Information Commissioner
Authenticated true copy:
(G. Subramanian)
Asst. Registrar
Cc:
1. Shri Praveen Kapoor
R/o J-3/27 First Floor
Opp. Malviya Public School
Khirkee Extension
Malviya Nagar
New Delhi 110 017
2. Shri S.K.Garg
The PIO &
Under Secretary
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
‘A’ Wing, Shastri Bhavan
Dr.Rajendra Prasad Road
New Delhi 110 001
3. Officer in charge, NIC
4. Press E Group, CIC