Central Information Commission
Duraibabu K vs Ut Of Puducherry on 16 March, 2026
CIC/UTPON/A/2024/130919
CIC/REVAD/A/2024/637067
के ीय सूचना आयोग
Central Information Commission
बाबा गंगनाथ माग,मुिनरका
Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
नई द ली, New Delhi - 110067
ि तीय अपील सं या / Second Appeal No. CIC/UTPON/A/2024/130919
ि तीय अपील सं या / Second Appeal No CIC/REVAD/A/2024/637067
Duraibabu K ... अपीलकता/Appellant
VERSUS
बनाम
CPIO: Department of
Revenue & Disaster ... ितवादीगण/Respondents
Management (Govt. of
Puducherry), Puducherry
Relevant dates emerging from the appeal:
SA : 20.08.2024 &
RTI : 27.05.2024 FA : 27.06.2024
20.09.2024
CPIO : 02.07.2024 FAO : 01.07.2024 Hearing : 11.03.2026
The instant set of appeals have been clubbed for decision as these relate to similar
RTI Applications and same subject matter.
Date of Decision: 11.03.2026
CORAM:
Hon'ble Commissioner
Shri P R Ramesh
ORDER
1. The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 27.05.2024 seeking information on the following points:
"..Sir, I am residing at the above address. I am a visually impaired person. I had applied in settlement section-1 for change of patta subdivision on Page 1 of 7 CIC/UTPON/A/2024/130919 CIC/REVAD/A/2024/637067 27.07.2023.There is a government mandate that subdivision should be done within 30 days of change of lease subdivision. But it has been 10 months since the application .But no action on my application. Please give me a certified copy of the details of the action taken on my Patta Subdivision application. I have attached as Annexure 1 the copy of receipt of my Patta Subdivision Application. I have attached my Alternate National Identity Card copy as Annexure 2..."
2. The CPIO replied vide letter dated 02.07.2024 and the same is reproduced as under:-
"..Reply:- This Directorate has already Initiated action in respect of your petition filed on 27.07.2023 and the same has been forwarded to the Tahsildar, Taluk Office, Oulgaret vide letter No.7328/DOC/ST-1/23023 dated 13.12.2023 for further course of action. For more information in this regard is available with Taluk Office, Oulgaret, Puducherry..."
3. Dissatisfied with the response received from the CPIO, the Appellant filed a First Appeal dated 27.06.2024 alleging that the information provided was incomplete, false and misleading. The FAA vide order dated 01.07.2024 observed as under:-
"..Reply:-1 am to direct the PIO to furnish the information within 7 days from the receipt of this order. Hence, the PIO should monitor the online RTI portal on daily basis and close the applications within the time limit. Accordingly, the appeal is disposed of..."
4. Aggrieved and dissatisfied, the Appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal dated 20.08.2024 & 20.09.2024 Facts emerging in Course of Hearing:
Appellant: Present through video-conference.Page 2 of 7
CIC/UTPON/A/2024/130919 CIC/REVAD/A/2024/637067 Respondent: Shri S. Couppan, Settlement Officer, Department of Survey Land Records- participated in the hearing through video-conference.
5. The Appellant inter alia submitted that the relevant information has not been provided to him till date. He averred that action taken on his patta subdivision application has not been provided by the PIO till date.
6. The Respondent while defending their case inter alia submitted that the directorate has initiated action in respect of petition of the Appellant and the same has been forwarded to the Tehsildar, Taluk Officer for further action. A written submission dated 09.03.2026 has been received from the PIO/ Settlement Officer, Department of Survey Land Records and same has been taken on record for perusal. The relevant extract whereof is as under:
"..I Submit that an online RTI application, dated 28.05.2024 had been received from one Thiru. Duraibabu.K residing at No.09, ECR Main Road, Middle street, Chinnakalapet, Puducherry, wherein, he has requested to furnish the certified copy of the details of the action taken on his patta subdivision application submitted by him on 27.07.2023. During this time most of the officials from this Directorate have been engaged with SVAMITVA Scheme (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) in Puducherry.
Further, I submit that due to the delaying response (four days i.e. 34 (30+4) days) from the then PIO, the applicant has filed first appeal petition before the First Appellate Authority, on 27.06.2024. Subsequently, the FAA has directed the then PIO on 01.07.2024 and the same is reproduced below:-
"I am to direct the PIO to furnish the information within 7 days from the receipt of this Order. Hence the PIO should monitor the online RTI portal Page 3 of 7 CIC/UTPON/A/2024/130919 CIC/REVAD/A/2024/637067 on daily basis and close the applications within the time limit. Accordingly, the appeal is disposed of".
In this regard, a reply has been given by the then PIO Thiru.K.K.Vibeesh, Tahsildar vide No. DRDMP/R/E/24/00042 dated 02.07.2024 and the same has been replied below:
"This Directorate has already initiated action in respect of your petition filed on 27.07.2023 and the same has been forwarded to the Tahsildar. Taluk Office, Oulgaret vide letter No.7328/DOC/ST-1/2023 dated 13.12.2023 for further course of action. For more information in this regard is available with Talisk Office, Oulgaret. Puducherry" Aggrieved by the reply of the then PIO, the applicant has tiled this Second Appeal before the Hon'ble Central Information Commission.
In this regard, I humbly submit that the Director IT, Puducherry has informed that on 08.06.2023, Puducherry state data Centre (PY- SDC)(Nilamagal-data for patta mutation) has received a warning message regarding to fix the Disk Spac issue. Subsequently, the server was not brought up and the application running in the server went down. Finally the land records(patta records) from 01.02.2022 to 08.06.2023 has been missing from the survey department website https://nilamagal.py.gov.in/public/ In these Circumstances, the Secretary(Revenue) has issued the following directions vide order No. 3660/DRDM/RO/B2/2023, dated 30.06.2023 (copy of the same enclosed).
The Deputy Collectors( Revenue), settlement officers and specified Officers shall act immediately for re-entry of missing Land Records data and Guideline Value in Nilamagal for the period from 01.02.2022 to 08.06.2023 on war-footing basis on or before 31.08.202.3.
Page 4 of 7CIC/UTPON/A/2024/130919 CIC/REVAD/A/2024/637067
ii) The Settlement/Specified Officer shall utilize the existing manpower in their office for data entry. In case of shortage of manpower, the Settlement/Specified Officer shall engage maximum of 3 nos of Data Entry Operators per Taluk/Sub Taluk for a period of two months only ie. July- August 2023.
iii) It is the responsibility of concerned Settlement/Specified Officer to cross-verify the entered data and approve the mutation / Sub-division thereafter. Further, DSC attachment shall be carried out by concerned Settlement/Specified Officer only. In case of Taluks, the Incumbent Tahsildars shall attach Digital Signature Certificate(DSC) from their date of assumption of charge and his predecessor shall attach DSC for their period of duty.
iv) While updating the Revenur Records, first priority shall be given to update the LA/LR lands at once to convert them into GP land and necessary compliance shall be reported to the concerned Deputy Collectors immediately as and when the updation is completed. New Patta transfer work shall be halted until completion of updation of missing data to avoid patta number mismatch.
Following that, the Secretary (Revenue) has also issued order to curtail the patta transfer in this Directorate by the settlement officers and directed to send all the sub-divisions(patta transfer petition) to the concerned specified officers (viz. all taluk tahsildar). This part and parcel of the same is responded as below for kind perusal. (enclosed)
iv) Considering the importance of the above mentioned work and to implement the same on a priority hasis it is now decided and directed to stop receiving the patta transfer/sub-division petition at the Directorate of Survey with effect from 11.12.2023. All the application relating to patta Page 5 of 7 CIC/UTPON/A/2024/130919 CIC/REVAD/A/2024/637067 transfer fname transfer/ sub-division) is to be received by the concerned taluk office and have to be disposed by the Tahsildar-cuon-Settlement Officers in Directorate shall continue to issue proceedings under section 23011 of the Settlement Act, 1970 only for bona fide corrections in the settlement records and the same act provision shall not used for transfer of patta in any case.
e) The Taluk Tahsildar-cum-specified officers are directed to receive the patta transfer application of the concerned taluks and dispose the same with due diligence and conduct of enquiry wherever required.
In view of the above, the patta transfer application received from the applicant has been forwarded to the concerned specified officers, viz. Tahsildar, Tahsildar, Oulgaret vide No.7328/DOS/ST-1/2023, dt13.12.2023, Furthermore, I submit that the four-day delay was purely administrative and bona fide, rather than intentional or for any dilatory purpose. I once again offer my unconditional apology for the failure to furnish the reply to the petitioner within the prescribed timeline (a delay of four days) by the then PIO..."
Decision:
7. The Commission after adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case, hearing both parties and perusal of records, observes that the Appellant has sought information regarding status of action taken on his patta subdivision application submitted by him on 27.07.2023. It is noted that as submitted by the PIO during hearing, the patta transfer application received from the Appellant has been forwarded to the concerned specified officers, viz. Tahsildar, in the year 2023. Accordingly, the PIO is directed to furnish an updated status report to the Appellant with respect to action taken on patta application as Page 6 of 7 CIC/UTPON/A/2024/130919 CIC/REVAD/A/2024/637067 sought in the instant RTI Application within three weeks from the date of receipt of this order. In doing so, the Respondent may invoke Section 5(4) of the RTI Act for accessing the information from the concerned record holder. Matters are disposed of accordingly.
Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.
Sd/-
(P R Ramesh) (पी. आर. रमेश) Information Commissioner (सूचना आयु ) Authenticated true copy Vivek Agarwal (िववेक अ वाल) Dy. Registrar (उप पंजीयक) 011-26107048 Addresses of the parties:
1 The CPIO O/o. the Deputy Collector, Department of Revenue & Disaster Management (Govt. of Puducherry), Pettayanchathiram, Vazhudavoor Road, Puducherry-605009.
2 PIO, Department of Survey and Land Records II Floor, Revenue Complex, Kamaraj Salai, Saram, Puducherry - 605013.
3.Duraibabu K Page 7 of 7 Recomendation(s) to PA under section 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005:-
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