CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION
Block IV, 4Th Floor, Old JNU Campus
New Delhi-110067
Appeal No. CIC/WB/C/2007/00537/LS
Complainant: Shri Ishwar Singh Sharma
Public Authority: Central Public Works Department
(through Shri S.M. Amrit, Chief
Engineer NEZ-II; Shri Suresh
Chandra, DDA; Shri Mahender Ram,
Executive Engineer, RTI)
Date of Hearing: 31/10/2008
Date of Decision 31/10/2008
FACTS
OF THE CASE:
By his letter of 16/05/2007, the Complainant had requested for
information regarding total expenditure made in CAT and Delhi High court
in certain cases pending there and the matters related therewith. CPIO did
not furnish information to him within prescribed time of 30 days.
Thereafter, by his letter of 28/06/2007, he filed Appeal before ADG(S&P),
Appellate Authority. The Appellate Authority, by his letter of 29/06/2007,
asked Chief Engineer NDZ-II and others to bring the relevant information to
him. The fact, however, remains that no information was furnished to the
Appellant.
2. The Complainant then filed the present complaint before the
Commission.
3. The matter was heard on 31/10/2008. The Complainant did not
appear before the Commission. The Public Authority was represented by
Shri S.M. Amrit, Chief Engineer NEZ-II; Shri Suresh Chandra, DDA; Shri
Mahender Ram, Executive Engineer, RTI.
4. During the hearing, it was submitted by the Chief Engineer, NDZ-III
that the requisite information has since been supplied to the Complainant by
their letter dated 01/04/2008 and furnished a copy of the said letter which
was taken on record. It was, however, noticed that there is a time gap of
about 11 months in the supply of information. The officers present could
not give any convincing explanation. However, Chief Engineer-NDZ
submitted a note purported to have been signed by the Complainant in which
he has stated that he has received the information and does not want to
pursue the matter. In view of this, the Appeal does not survive and is
dismissed.
5. However, before I part with the matter, I would like to bring on record
that no effective system for handling RTI matters appears to have been put
in place in CPWD due to which supply of information to the Applicants is
getting inordinately delayed. This is not for the first time that such delay has
been noticed by the Commission. The Commission would, therefore,
strongly urge the highest authorities of CPWD to streamline the system for
furnishing information to the applicants within the prescribed time frame.
Sd/-
(M.L. Sharma)
Central Information Commissioner
Authenticated true copy. Additional copies of orders shall be supplied against
application and payment of the charges, prescribed under the Act, to the CPIO of this
Commission.
(K.L. Das)
Assistant Registrar