Central Information Commission
Appeal No.CIC/WB/A/2008/00397-SM dated 07.01.2008
Right to Information Act-2005-Under Section (19)
Dated: 4 May 2009
Appellant : Shri Rajendra Prasad Tiwari
Respondent : Cantonment Board, Dehradun (Ministry of Defence)
The Appellant was not present.
On behalf of the Respondent, Shri Shailendra Sharma, J.A., was
present.
The brief facts of the case are as under.
2. The Appellant had, in his application dated 7 January 2008, requested
the CPIO for a large number of information in respect of the action taken on
several representations filed by him before the Cantonment Board and
various construction activities undertaken by that Board. The CPIO, in his
reply dated 4 February 2008, provided information in respect of the first four
queries and advised him that he should prefer separate applications for
information in respect of the remaining queries. Not satisfied with this reply,
the Appellant preferred an appeal before the first Appellate Authority on 13
February 2008. This was disposed off in the order dated 29 February 2008.
The first Appellate Authority endorsed the order of the CPIO. The Appellant
has now come before the CIC in second appeal against the above order.
3. During the hearing, the Appellant was not present in spite of notice.
We heard the submissions of the Respondent. While it is clear that the
Appellant had asked for far too many information on a variety of matters, it
is not disputed that this information is held by the Public Authority
concerned. The rules framed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act in the
matter of seeking information does not put any ceiling on the number of
items on which information can be sought. In view of this, the CPIO cannot
deny to provide information merely on the ground that the number of items is
large. Therefore, we direct the CPIO to provide the remaining information to
the Appellant within 10 working days from the receipt of this order.
4. With the above direction, the appeal his disposed off.
5. Copies of this order be given free of cost to the parties.
(Satyananda Mishra)
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.
(Vijay Bhalla)
Assistant Registrar