CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION
.....
F.No.CIC/AT/A/2008/00894
Dated, the 08th December, 2008
Appellant : Shri Biswajit Mohanty
Respondents : Paradip Port Trust
This matter came up for hearing on 02.12.2008. Appellant was absent in
response to Commission’s notice dated 10.11.2008, whereas the respondents
were present through Shri S. Misra, Traffic Manager & CPIO and Shri Prabhat
Kumar Nanda, Secretary.
2. The short-point for decision in this case is whether item at Sl.No.4 as
listed in the RTI-application dated 30.01.2008 of the appellant be authorized to
be disclosed. This item reads as follows:-
“4. Please give photocopies of file note sheets of the file which has
dealt with the issue of show cause, reply received and cancellation
order issued for each case of plot cancellation during the period
1.4.2004 to 31.12.2007.”
3. On perusal of the records and hearing the submissions of the respondents,
I see no reason why this item of information should not be allowed to be
disclosed to the appellant. It doesn’t attract any of the exemption sub-sections
under Section 8(1) of the RTI Act.
4. It is, therefore, directed that the requested information would be provided
to the appellant within one week of the receipt of this order by the CPIO.
5. Appellant has also made a submission regarding non-disclosure of
information relative to his RTI-query at Sl.No.2. Respondents during the hearing
informed Commission that this information has since been disclosed through
their communication dated 15.04.2008.
6. In view of the submission of the respondents, there is no need to decide on
this matter at this stage.
7. Respondents also explained that some of the delays which occurred in this
matter was owing entirely to the voluminous nature of the information which the
appellant had requested which needed to be collected and collated from different
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/ diverse sources. Another factor that contributed to the delay was that
information encompassed three-year-period and was both voluminous and
detailed.
8. The delay in this matter comes within the scope of reasonable cause in
Section 20(1) of the RTI Act. There shall be no penalty proceedings in this case.
9. Appeal disposed of with these directions.
10. Copy of this decision be sent to the parties.
( A.N. TIWARI )
INFORMATION COMMISSIONER
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