Central Information Commission
Mr.Ratnesh Kumar Pathak vs President Secretariat on 25 June, 2012
Central Information Commission, New Delhi
File No.CIC/SM/A/2011/001780
Right to Information Act2005Under Section (19)
Date of hearing : 25 June 2012
Date of decision : 25 June 2012
Name of the Appellant : Shri Ratnesh Kumar Pathak,
Mohalla Bankipur Gorakh,
Post Thana Fatuha, Distt - Patna,
Bihar.
Name of the Public Authority : CPIO, President's Secretariat,
(RTI Section), Rashtrapati Bhavan,
New Delhi.
The Appellant was not present in spite of notice.
On behalf of the Respondent, the following were present:
(i) Shri Saurabh Vijay, DS,
(ii) Shri C. Sarkar, US
Chief Information Commissioner : Shri Satyananda Mishra
The Appellant did not turn up in the Patna studio of the NIC in spite of notice. The Respondents were present in our chamber. We heard their submissions.
2. The Appellant had wanted to know about the action taken on a petition filed by one Brij Kishore Singh, the president of the working journalists union of Bihar. The CPIO had informed him that it had been forwarded to the State government of Bihar since the subject matter of the petition concerned that CIC/SM/A/2011/001780 government and that any further enquiry about the petition should be made with the said State government. The Appellate Authority had endorsed the response of the CPIO.
3. It is quite clear that the President Secretariat had taken no other action on the petition except forwarding it to the State government of Bihar and that is what the CPIO had informed. Since no other action had been taken, obviously, there is nothing more the CPIO can say in this matter. The Respondents clarified that it would not be possible for them to say if any action had been taken by the Bihar government on the above petition.
4. In the above circumstances, the Appellant is well advised to approach the State government of Bihar in this regard. It is also worthwhile to note that if all that the President Secretariat can do is only to forward petitions received from citizens to various authorities without any further follow up action, it should clearly announce to the citizens about their limitations and not create hope which it cannot fulfil. Such announcements, from time to time, would educate the citizens about what to expect when they send any petition or complaint to the President of India.
5. The appeal is disposed off accordingly.
6. Copies of this order be given free of cost to the parties.
(Satyananda Mishra) Chief 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.
CIC/SM/A/2011/001780 (Vijay Bhalla) Deputy Registrar CIC/SM/A/2011/001780