CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION
Room No. 308, B-Wing, August Kranti Bhawan, Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi-110066
File No.CIC/LS/A/2009/000875
Appellant : Shri Ram Krishna Mukharji
Public Authority : HUDCO
Date of Decision : 23.9.2009
FACTS
:
The matter was called for hearing today dated 23.9.2009. The
parties did not appear. Hence, it was decided to dispose of the matter on
the basis of material on record. The short point before this Commission is
whether 09 pages of documents are to be provided @ Rs. 2/- per page or at
further fee u/s 7 (3) of the RTI Act. It is noticed that vide his letter dated
24.2.2009 addressed to the appellant, the CPIO has demanded payment of
Rs. 2530/- for providing 19 pages of documents. The fee comes to Rs.
281/- per page. The appellant has pleaded that he should be charged @ Rs.
2/- per page as prescribed by the Central Government. He has also referred
to the decision dated 10.4.2006 of this Commission in F. No.
11/85/2006/CIC wherein the tendency to demand excessive further fee has
been castigated.
2. We have carefully perused the order of CPIO wherein the cost has
been calculated taking into consideration the time spent by the officers in
culling out the requested information etc. We, however, are not impressed
by the arithmetic of the CPIO. The documents proposed to be provided to
the appellant are not of archival value tracing out of which would need
intensive labour and effort by the public authority. We are of the opinion
that further fee demanded by the CPIO is not justified.
DECISION
3. We, therefore, set aside of the order of the CPIO and direct that
documents may be provided to the appellant @ Rs. 2/- per page.
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
Address of parties :-
1. Shri S.S. Gaur
Executive Director (Law),
HUDCO, India Habitat Center,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003
2. Shri Rama Krishna Mukharji
LB-2, Stage-IV, Laxmisagar
BDA Colony, Bbubneswar-751006