Central Information Commission
Brijesh Chand Shukla vs Irrigation And Flood Control ... on 22 May, 2025
के ीय सूचना आयोग
Central Information Commission
बाबा गंगनाथ माग, मुिनरका
Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
नई िद ी, New Delhi - 110067
File No: CIC/IAFCD/A/2024/102084
Brijesh Chand Shukla .....अपीलकता/Appellant
VERSUS
बनाम
PIO,
Irrigation and Flood Control
Department L M Bundh Office
Complex Shastri Nagar, New
Delhi - 110031 .... ितवादीगण /Respondent
Date of Hearing : 20.05.2025
Date of Decision : 22.05.2025
INFORMATION COMMISSIONER : Vinod Kumar Tiwari
Relevant facts emerging from appeal:
RTI application filed on : 28.03.2023
CPIO replied on : 28.04.2023
First appeal filed on : 17.05.2023
First Appellate Authority's order : 27.07.2023
2nd Appeal/Complaint dated : 15.01.2024
Information sought:
1. The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 28.03.2023 (offline) seeking the following information:Page 1 of 7
"1. अ धशासी अ भयंता ( स वल डवीज़न III) वारा दनांक 01/04/2022 से 27/03/2023 तक कराये गये वकास काय क बल ऑफ !वा"ट$ट$ क %&त ल प उपल)ध कराये।
2. अ धशासी अ भयंता ( स वल डवीज़न III) वारा दनांक 01/04/2022 से 27/03/2023 तक कराये गये वकास काय क वक ऑडर/अवाड लैटर क %&त ल प उपल)ध कराय,
3. अ धशासी अ भयंता ( स वल डवीज़न III) क दनांक 27/03/2023 तक Progress Report क %&त ल प उपलबध कराये।
4. अ धशासी अ भयंता ( स वल डवीज़न III) वारा दनांक 01/04/2022 से 27/03/2023 म, .कतने PG (परफॉरम, स गारं ट$) एज,सी वाइज जमा कराई?
5. अ धशासी अ भयंता ( स वल डवीज़न III) वारा दनांक 01/04/2022 से 27/03/2023 म, .कतने ए डशनल PG (परफॉरम, स गारं ट$) एज,सी वाइज जमा कराई?
6. अ धशासी अ भयंता ( स वल डवीज़न ।।।) वारा दनांक 01/04/2022 से 27/03/2023 म, .कतनी रकम के ठे के/ट, डर एज,सी वाइज हुए?
7. अ धशासी अ भयंता ( स वल डवीज़न III) म, .कतने सब- डवीज़न ह7? डवीज़न म, .कतने सहायक अ भयंता कायरत ह7 और वो कबसे कायरत ह7 उनके नाम दे ने क कृपा करे ?
8. अ धशासी अ भयंता ( स वल डवीज़न III) म, .कतने क&न;ठ अ भयंता कायरत ह7 और वो कबसे कायरत ह7 उनके नाम दे ने क कृपा करे ?"
2. The CPIO furnished a point-wise reply to the Appellant on 28.04.2023 stating as under:
"सूचना-1 म, मांगी गई जानकार$ अ>य धक प;ृ ठ? म, समायोिजत है अतः आवे दक इस खDड म, .कसी भी काय दवस (सुबह 10:00 सेसायं5.00 केमEय) म, मांगी गई जानकार$ सेसंबंधत Fरकाड के &नर$Gण हेतु आमंIत है , &नर$Gण के उपरा"त िजतनी भी सच ू ना वां&छत होगी उन प;ृ ठ? क %&त ल प %ाथL को %दान क जाएगी।Page 2 of 7
इस संबंध म, आवेदक कायालय म, उपिMथत होनेके दवस व समय क जानकार$ पहलेसेद, तथा पहचान के लए कोई %माण-पI साथ ताए। सूचना-2 दनांक 01/04/2022 से27/03/2023 तक .कए गए सभी 'परु Mकार पI रिजMटर' क %&तय? को 450 प;ृ ठ? म, समायोिजत .कया जाता है । दMतावेज? क %&त &नधाFरत शुNक केभुगतान केबाद आवेदक को 2.00 Oपये%&त प;ृ ठ (अथात 450 x 2 = Oपये900/-) क दर सेउपल)ध कराई जाएंगी।
सूचना-3 दनांक 27/03/2023 तक Progress report क %&तय? को 20 प;ृ ठ? म, समायोिजत .कया जाता है । दMतावेज? क %&त &नधाFरत शुNक के भुगतान के बाद आवेदक को 2.00 Oपये%&त प;ृ ठ (अथात 20 x 2 = Oपये40/-) क दर से उपल)ध कराई जाएंगी।
सूचना-4 मांगी गई जानकार$ / सूचना को 20 प;ृ ठ? म, समायोिजत .कया जाता है । दMतावेज? क %&त &नधाFरत शुNक केभुगतान केबाद आवेदक को 2.00 Oपये %&त प;ृ ठ (अथात 20 x 2 = Oपये40/-) क दर सेउपल)ध कराई जाएंगी। सूचना-5 उपरो!त जानकार$ सूचना-4 म, %ाPत करा द$ गई है । सूचना-6 Qम संRया 2 म, जानकार$ उपल)ध करा द$ गई है । सूचना-7 Sub Division No. I, II, III, IV Assistant Engineer 1) Shri. Shiv ji Ram, Sep.2022
2) Shri. Rakesh Kumar, 24 Jan 2023 सूचना-8 Junior Engineer
1) A.K Gaur 2014
2) Sonu Kumar
3) Ramesh Kumar
4) Ajay Kumar
5) Vinod Kumar"
3. Being dissatisfied, the appellant filed a First Appeal dated 17.05.2023. The FAA vide its order dated 27.07.2023, held as under:
"Sh. Brijesh Chandra Shukla filed the 1st Appeal request under section 19 (1) of RTI Act, 2005. The appellant & concerned PIO were informed vide this office letter No. 2 (31)/SEFC-I/DB/RTI/F.A./2023-24/336-338 dated Page 3 of 7 17/07/2023 that the hearing of First Appeal was fixed for 27/07/2023 at 01:00 PM.
1. During the hearing of appeal, it was decided that the EE/CD-III will inform the amount to be deposited for providing copy of the information at question No. 1 without the appellant going for inspection within 15 days & information sought at question no. 2 will be provided within a week."
4. Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied with the non-compliance of FAA's order, appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal.
Relevant Facts emerged during Hearing:
The following were present:-
Appellant: Present in person.
Respondent: Not present.
5. The Appellant expressed his dissatisfaction to the fact that information in compliance of FAA's order has not been provided to him till date.
Decision:
6. The Commission after adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case and perusal of the records observes that the FAA vide its order dated 27.07.2023 had directed the PIO that "the EE/CD-III will inform the amount to be deposited for providing copy of the information at question No. 1 without the appellant going for inspection within 15 days & information sought at question no. 2 will be provided within a week". But there is nothing on record to show that the Respondent has complied with the directions of the FAA.
7. In view of the above, the Respondent is directed to comply with the directions of the FAA order dated 27.07.2023 and give updated and revised point-wise reply/information to the Appellant as per the documents available on record. The directions of the Commission should be complied within four weeks from the date of receipt of this order failing which the Respondent would stand show caused.
Page 4 of 78. FAA to ensure compliance of the directions
9. Notwithstanding the above, the Commission admonishes the conduct of the Respondent for remaining absent during prior intimation and cautions him to be careful in future, failing which action may be initiated against him as per the law. A copy of this order be placed by the FAA before the controlling officer of the present PIO to take note of the observations.
10.It is noteworthy that a similar issue regarding upfront disclosure of information related to tender documents has already been heard and disposed of by this bench in case File No. CIC/DSIDC/A/2023/130549 (Ajay Kumar Goyal v. PIO, DSIDC) on 15.10.2024 with the following observations:
"....For ease of reading, name of such tender/award letter documents, inter alia are reproduced below -
1. NIT.
2. Terms and conditions.
3. Information to bidders (ITB).
4. Minutes of PBC (Pre-bid consultation).
5. Award Letter.
6. Estimated Amount at which tender awarded.
7. Date of start.
8. Date of completion (as per award/NIT).
9. Engineer-in-charge, their name & designation.
10. Supervisor with their name & designation.
Usually, the information mentioned above at point Nos. 6 to 10 is included in award letters which should be easily accessible from the website of concerned Public Authority. Further, the information such as completion certificate, MB (Measurement Book), Quality Check Report (QCR), Bill of Quantity (BoQ), Registration Certificate of Contractor are also made available to the public on demand as it does not attract exemption as per the RTI Act.
In this regard, the attention of the parties is invited towards a judgement of the Hon'ble Apex Court in the case titled Reserve Bank of India vs Jayantilal Page 5 of 7 N. Mistry on 16 December, 2015:AIR 2016 SUPREME COURT 1 wherein it was held as under:- "...80. At this juncture, we may refer the decision of this Court in Mardia Chemicals Limited vs. Union of India, (2004) 4 SCC 311, wherein this court while considering the validity of SARFAESI Act and recovery of non- performing assets by banks and financial institutions in India, held :-
".............it may be observed that though the transaction may have a character of a private contract yet the question of great importance behind such transactions as a whole having far reaching effect on the economy of the country cannot be ignored, purely restricting it to individual transactions more particularly when financing is through banks and financial institutions utilizing the money of the people in general namely, the depositors in the banks and public money at the disposal of the financial institutions. Therefore, wherever public interest to such a large extent is involved and it may become necessary to achieve an object which serves the public purposes, individual rights may have to give way. Public interest has always been considered to be above the private interest. Interest of an individual may, to some extent, be affected but it cannot have Page 4 of 7 the potential of taking over the public interest having an impact in the socio- economic drive of the country..........."
xxxx
82. We have, therefore, given our anxious consideration to the matter and came to the conclusion that the Central Information Commissioner has passed the impugned orders giving valid reasons and the said orders, therefore, need no interference by this Court."
In view of the above, an advisory under Section 25(5) of the RTI Act is issued to the Respondent Public Authority for upfront disclosure of documents/ information related to tenders, award letters etc. under Section 4 of the RTI Act to make it easy for a layperson to get relevant information through website. This will also relieve the Public Authority of the burden of such RTI Applications.
The FAA is directed to place a copy of this order before the concerned Competent Authority for compliance of above advisory.
Page 6 of 711.The above-mentioned advisory holds good for the instant case as well. Accordingly, the FAA is directed to place a copy of this order before the Competent Authority concerned for compliance of the Advisory.
The appeal is disposed of accordingly.
Vinod Kumar Tiwari (िवनोद कुमार ितवारी) Information Commissioner (सूचना आयु ) Authenticated true copy (अिभ मािणत स!ािपत ित) (S. Anantharaman) Dy. Registrar 011- 26181927 Date Copy To:
The FAA Irrigation and Flood Control Department L M Bundh Office Complex Shastri Nagar, New Delhi - 110031 Page 7 of 7 Recomendation(s) to PA under section 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005:-
Nil Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) Recomendation(s) to PA under section 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005:-
Nil Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)