Central Information Commission
Mr.Chander Bhan vs Office Of The Registrar General Of India on 12 February, 2013
Central Information Commission
Room No. 305, 2nd Floor, 'B' Wing, August Kranti Bhavan,
Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi110066
Web: www.cic.gov.in Tel No: 26167931
Case No. CIC/SS/A/2012/001999
CIC/SS/C/2012/000777
Dated: 12.02.2013
Name of Appellant : Shri Chander Bhan
Name of Respondent : Office of the Registrar General, India
Date of Hearing : 05.02.2013
ORDER
Shri Chander Bhan, hereinafter called the appellant, has filed the present appeal & complaint dated 17.4.2012 and 26.6.2012 respectively before the Commission against the respondent Office of the Registrar General, India, New Delhi for not providing information in reply to his RTI-application dated 13.1.2012. The appellant was present whereas the respondent were represented by Shri Babul Roy, SRO (SS).
2. The appellant through his RTI application dated 13.1.2012 sought information on two queries in respect of the Census of 1891, 1911, 1931, 1941, 1951, 1961, 1971, 1991 and 2001 pertaining to Dhangar Caste notified as SC at S. No. 27 in the Gazette of Government of UP along with their family details, addresses in the Districts of Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Saharanpur, Dehradun, Bijnor, Haridwar, Aligarh, Agra and Mathura. The CPIO vide letter No. 28/1/2011-RTI-SS dated 23.1.2012 informed the appellant that the aforementioned census documents are published documents and the appellant 2 Case No. CIC/SS/A/2012/001999 & CIC/SS/C/2012/000777 was advised to peruse these documents in the respective Libraries of his State/City.
3. Aggrieved with the reply of the CPIO, the appellant filed first appeal on 3.2.2012 before the FAA. The FAA vide his order No. 28/1/2012/RTI-SS dated 19.3.2012 informed the appellant that the District-wise data of the Census operation had been started after 1951 onwards and these are published documents and are available in the Library of the Office of the Registrar General, India, New Delhi and in the Libraries of respective State/City.
4. During the hearing it was clarified by the respondent that the 'Dhangar Caste' has been notified as SC only in the year 1951. In the circumstances, since the appellant has only sought information regarding Dhangar Caste listed at S. No. 27, therefore, the respondent is only obliged to provide information to the appellant, since the time the Dhangar Caste has been notified as SC, which is from 1951. Moreover, as reported by the respondent, District-wise census operation has been started only after 1951. The CPIO, therefore, is hereby directed to provide the District-wise population figures of the Dhangar Caste to the appellant within four weeks of receipt of this order.
5. The Commission observes that in respect of the remaining queries, both the CPIO and FAA have failed to provide point-wise reply to the appellant. The matter is remitted back to the FAA with the directions to pass speaking order by addressing each of the remaining queries of the appellant, within four weeks of receipt of this order.
(Sushma Singh) Information Commissioner Authenticated true copy:
3 Case No. CIC/SS/A/2012/001999 &CIC/SS/C/2012/000777 (K.K. Sharma) OSD & Deputy Registrar Address of the parties:
Shri Chander Bhan, Near Chandra Complex, Sant Motors, Sharda Nagasr, Arya Nagar, Roorkee Road, Jwalapur, Haridwar-249407 (Uttrakhand) The CPIO, Office of the Registrar General, India, Social Studies Division, Sewa Bhawan, R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110066.
The First Appellate Authority, Office of the Registrar General, India, Social Studies Division, Sewa Bhawan, R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110066.