Central Information Commission
Mr.Jatin Sharma vs Ministry Of Defence on 2 April, 2012
CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION
Room No. 308, B-Wing, August Kranti Bhawan, Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi-110066
File No.CIC/LS/C/2011/000460
File No.CIC/LS/A/2011/003940
File No.CIC/LS/A/2012/000019
File No.CIC/LS/A/2011/000986
File No.CIC/LS/A/2011/003958
Appellant : Shri Jatin Sharma
Public Authority : Indian Army.
Date of hearing : 02.04.2012
Date of Decision : 02.04.2012
Facts :-
Heard today dated 02.04.2012. Appellant present. The Army is represented by Maj. R.L. Panhotra. As the above cited appeals have been filed by the present appellant, they are being disposed of through a common order. The case-wise position is as follows :-
File No.CIC/LS/C/2011/000460 :-
The appellant does not press the matter. Dismissed as withdrawn.
File No.CIC/LS/A/2011/003940 :-
The appellant is a disabled soldier of the Army. He has been declared to be 70% disabled. The appellant wishes to know that in case during the service, his disability gets aggravated, whether he is entitled for still higher disability pension and, if yes, what is the procedure there-for.
Maj. Panhotra is hereby directed to take up the matter with the concerned authorities and communicate this information to the appellant in 04 weeks time.
File No.CIC/LS/A/2012/000019 :-
The appellant does not press the matter. Dismissed as withdrawn.
File No.CIC/LS/A/2011/000986:-
The appellant had requested for a copy of the policy guidelines regarding Regimental Subscriptions. He submits that first two pages thereof have already been supplied to him but the rest of the pages are missing.
In the premises, Maj. Panhotra is hereby directed to supply remaining pages to the appellant, free of cost, in 04 weeks time.
File No.CIC/LS/A/2011/003958 :-
In this case, the appellant has raised the general policy issues regarding uploading of Army orders/instructions in the Army website. He submits that complete information has not been put on the website and urges that the Army authorities be directed to do so.
Needless to say, as per section 4(1)(a) of the RTI Act, the public authorities are mandated to maintain all their records duly catalogued and indexed in a manner and in the form which facilitates the right to information under the RTI Act. Besides, the Public Authorities are also mandated to computerize their records and connect them through a net-work all over the country on different systems so as to access such records is facilitated. In the premises, the request of the appellant is very much in line with the mandate of law. It should, therefore, be the endeavour of the Army to place the open material on the website so as to reduce its demand through individual requests. Obviously, classified information would not be placed on the website. Maj. Panhotra is, therefore, desired to sensitise the concerned authorities in this regard.
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) Deputy Registrar Address of parties :-
1. The CPIO, RTI Cell, G-6, D-1 Wing, Sena Bhawan, Gate No.4, IHQ of MoD(Army), New Delhi-110011.
2. Shri Jatin Sharma, 15766989A, LNK(GNR), 53/19, AD Regt, PIN 925719, c/o 56-APO.