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Decision No. CIC/SG/A/2011/000403/12071
Appeal No. CIC/SG/A/2011/000403
Relevant Facts
emerging from the Appeal:
Appellant : Mr. Umesh Kumar Sharma
C-25, Bhagat Singh Colony,
New Usmaan pur, Delhi-110053.
Respondent : Mr. H. P. Meena
PIO & AC (North)
Food and Supply department, GNCTD
Office of the Assistant Commissioner (North),
23-27 Shopping Complex,
Gulabi Bagh, Delhi.
RTI application filed on : 22/07/2010
PIO replied : 27/08/2010
First appeal filed on : 09/11/2010
First Appellate Authority order : 08/12/2010
Second Appeal received on : 02/02/2011
Sl. Information Sought About
1. Please provide photocopy of Master Card Register regarding of tel. no. (5506) and printout of
Master Card Register from the circle (55) .
2. Please provide the photocopy and printout of Sales Register from tel. no. (5506) and Circle (55)
of May-June.
3. How many cards gets stamps? How many cards are renewed by Tel. No. (5506)? Give the serial
numbers.
4. a) Please provide the attested receipts of …………………………………
PIO Reply:
Not attached with the appeal.
Grounds of the First Appeal:
Appellant is not satisfied.
Order of the FAA:
“Appellant is satisfied with the reply furnished by PIO(North) on point no. 1, 2, 5 & 7. he stated that the PIO has
asked to deposit Rs. 900/- in response to point no. 4 &5 for providing photocopies of Master Card register and Sales
Register. Accordingly, Rs 900/- deposited vide TR receipt no. 25558 dated 07/09/2010. However, the appellant had
not received photocopy of documents despite of several visits to the office of Asst. Commissioner (North) and
Circle office. The required photocopies of documents were not provided to him the stipulated time frame despite of
depositing the requisite amount, therefore, the same must but available to him free of cost.”
Ground of the Second Appeal:
The appellant was not satisfied.
Relevant Facts emerging during Hearing:
The following were present
Appellant : Mr. Umesh Kumar Sharma;
Respondent : Mr. H. P. Meena, PIO & AC (North); Mr. Shashi Kant, FSO(C-02);
The PIO had demanded additional fee of Rs.900/- which the Appellant had paid on 07/09/2010. The RTI
application has been made on 22/07/2010 and the demand for additional fee was sent 27/08/2010, which was an
illegal demand. The Appellant paid Rs.900/- on 07/09/2010 yet no information was provided to the Appellant. Only
after the order of the FAA information was sent to the Appellant on 25/01/2011. This information is also
incomplete and the PIO is directed to send the following information to the Appellant:
1- It has been claimed that all records of the ration shop FPS 4136 (5506) were stolen on 11/01/2009 and a
compliant was made about this to the police on 18/03/2009. However, records from 11/01/2009 upto
10/04/2010 which should be available have not been provided to the Appellant. The Rs.900/- wrongly
taken from the Appellant has been refunded to him.
The Respondent states that the person responsible for not providing the information to the Appellant was Mr. K. P.
Singh the then FSO(C-02).
It is clear that the Appellant has been harassed by not providing the information, asking him illegally to pay the
additional fee and even after this not providing the information. In view of this the Commission directs the Food
and Supply Department to give a compensation to the Appellant for the loss and detriment suffered by him and the
delay in providing the information. The Commission under its powers under Section-19(8)(b) of the RTI Act
awards compensation of Rs.3000/- to the Appellant.
Decision:
The Appeal is allowed.
The PIO is directed to provide the provide the information for the period 11/01/2009 to
10/04/2010 to the Appellant free of cost before 10 May 2011.
The PIO is also directed to ensure that a cheque of Rs.3000/- as compensation is sent from the
Department to the Appellant before 15 June 2011.
The issue before the Commission is of not supplying the complete, required information by Mr. K. P. Singh
the then FSO(C-02) within 30 days as required by the law.
From the facts before the Commission it appears that the then PIO is guilty of not furnishing information within the
time specified under sub-section (1) of Section 7 by not replying within 30 days, as per the requirement of the RTI
Act. He has further refused to obey the orders of his superior officer, which raises a reasonable doubt that the denial
of information may also be malafide. The First Appellate Authority has clearly ordered the information to be given.
It appears that the PIO’s actions attract the penal provisions of Section 20 (1). A showcause notice is being issued to
him, and he is directed give his reasons to the Commission to show cause why penalty should not be levied on him.
Mr. K. P. Singh the then FSO(C-02) will present himself before the Commission at the above address on 18 May
2011 at 10.30am alongwith his written submissions showing cause why penalty should not be imposed on him as
mandated under Section 20 (1). He will also submit proof of having given the information to the appellant.
If there are other persons responsible for the delay in providing the information to the Appellant the PIO is
directed to inform such persons of the show cause hearing and direct them to appear before the Commission
with him.
This decision is announced in open chamber.
Notice of this decision be given free of cost to the parties.
Any information in compliance with this Order will be provided free of cost as per Section 7(6) of RTI Act.
Shailesh Gandhi
Information Commissioner
20 April 2011
(In any correspondence on this decision, mention the complete decision number.) (MC)
CC:
To,
Mr. K. P. Singh the then FSO(C-02) through Mr. H. P. Meena, PIO & AC (North);