Central Information Commission
Ajay Malik vs Northern Railway on 1 October, 2020
CIC/NRAIL/A/2018/169351
के ीय सूचना आयोग
Central Information Commission
बाबागंगनाथमाग,मुिनरका
Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
नई द ली, New Delhi - 110067
ि तीय अपील सं या/ Second Appeal No. CIC/NRAIL/A/2018/169351
In the matter of:
Ajay Malik ... अपीलकता/Appellant
VERSUS
बनाम
1. CPIO, ... ितवादीगण /Respondent
Northern Railway,
RTI Cell,
Baroda House,
New Delhi - 110 001
2. CPIO
Cum Astt. Security Commissioner,
Northern Railway,
Railway Protection Force,
Divisional Office,
Ambala Division, Ambala,
Haryana
Page 1 of 7
CIC/NRAIL/A/2018/169351
Relevant dates emerging from the appeal:
RTI : 03.08.2018 FA : 11.09.2018 SA : 27.11.2018
CPIO : 06.08.2018,
14.08.2018, 23.08.2018,
24.08.2018, 31.08.2018, FAO : Not on record Hearing : 29.09.2020
10.10.2018, 26.10.2018,
06.09.2018
The following were present:
Appellant: Advocate Ajay Tyagi, Representative, heard over the phone.
Respondent: Shri Gurjasbir Singh, Assistant Security Commissioner/RPF,
Northern Railway, Ambala Division, Haryana, Shri Deep Chander Arya, Staff
Officer, RPF/ HQ, Northern Railway, Baroda House, New Delhi and Shri Pankaj
Sharma, Chief Vigilance Inspector, Northern Railway, HQ, heard over the phone.
ORDER
Information Sought:
The appellant filed an RTI application on 03.08.2018, seeking information on five points as under:-
" ाथ स उ िन अजय मािलक पु व रामधन मिलक रे सु ब पो ट सहारनपरु अ बाला मडं ल म कायकत हँ।
1) 01 जनवरी 2018 से 30 जनू 2018 तक िवजलस टीम बड़ौदा हाउस ारा अ बाला मडं ल, िद ली पूव मडं ल, िद ली पि म मडं ल, मरु ादाबाद मडं ल, लखनऊ मडं ल व िफ़रोज़परु मडं ल म िकतने वडर पकडे गए है। उनमे से िकतने वडर रे लवे ारा वैध थे जो अवैध काय करते पकडे गए और िकतने वडर अवैध पकडे गए। मडं ल व पो ट वाइज सचू ना उपल ध कराने क कृ पा करे ।Page 2 of 7
CIC/NRAIL/A/2018/169351
2) िजन रे लवे टेशन पर यह वडर पकडे गए उन पर कायकत रे 0 स0ु ब0 अिधकारी व कमचा रय व रे लवे के अ य िवभाग के अिधका रयो एवं कमचा रय के िखलाफ या कायवाही क गई ।
3) 02 मई 2018 को िविजलस टीम बड़ौदा हाउस ारा सहरानपरु रेलवे टेशन पर 19 वडर पकडे गए िजसमे डी0 आर0 एम0 अ बाला मडं ल महोदय ारा मडं ल तर पर एक जांच कमेटी गिठत क गई थी उसमे कौन-कौन सद य थे एवं उनके ारा स पी गई जाच ं रपोट क स यािपत कॉपी उपल ध कराने क कृ पा करे उसमे रेलवे िवभाग के कौन-कौन से िवभाग दोषी पाये गए और उनके िखलाफ या कायवाही क गई।
4) रे लवे बोड व बड़ौदा हाउस ारा रे 0 स0ु ब0 को वैध एवं अवैध वै डर क चैिकंग एवं उनके िखलाफ कायवाही करने के स ब म कब-कब िदशा िनदश जारी िकये गए । प क स यािपत छाया ित उपल ध कराने क कृ पा करे ।
5) रे लवे टेशन पर यिद वैध वै डर ारा िनयम के िव रे लगाड़ी म खानपान का सामान बेचा जाता है तो उनको रोकने क और उनके िखलाफ कायवाही करने क िज मेदारी िकसक बनती है ।"
The CPIO, Ambala, vide letter dated 14.08.2018, provided information on point nos. 2, 3 and 5 to the appellant. Further, APIO, Moradabad, vide letter dated 31.08.2018, furnished information on point nos. 2 and 5 and transferred the appellant's RTI application to Vigilance department on point no. 1, to Ambala division on point no. 3 and to Headquarters on point no. 4. Furthermore, DCM, Lucknow, vide letter dated 23.08.2018, also furnished information on point no. 5. CPIO, RPF, Lucknow, vide letter dated 06.09.2018, also furnished a point wise reply to the appellant. CPIO, Firozpur, vide letter dated 24.08.2018, further replied on point nos. 5 and transferred the RTI application to Sr. DSC/RPF/FZR to furnish information on point nos. 1 - 4. Vide letter dated 10.10.2018, Sr. Divisional Security Commissioner/RPF, Firozpur, furnished a point wise reply to the appellant. Furthermore, replies dated 26.10.2018 and 10.10.2018 were also received from Assistant Vigilance Officer, Baroda House, New Delhi and DCM, Northern Railway, New Delhi respectively. Being dissatisfied, the appellant filed first appeal dated 11.09.2018. FAA's order, if any, is not available on record.Page 3 of 7
CIC/NRAIL/A/2018/169351 Grounds for Second Appeal:
The appellant filed second appeal u/s 19 of the Act on the ground of unsatisfactory reply furnished by the respondent. He requested the Commission to direct the CPIO to provide the information sought for.
Submissions made by Appellant and Respondent during Hearing:
The appellant's representative submitted that due information on point no. 1 has not been furnished to the appellant by Ambala Division. Further, the respondent has, malafidely, denied information on point no. 3 by wrongly invoking Section 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act. He furthermore submitted that an appropriate reply was not furnished on point nos. 4 and 5 of the RTI application. He requested the Commission to direct the CPIO to provide the information sought for and to impose penalty on the erring CPIOs for malafidely withholding the information.
The written submissions dated 28.09.2020, filed by the appellant, were taken on record.
The respondent, Shri Gurjasbir Singh, submitted that only point nos. 2, 3 and 5 were pertaining to their division and an appropriate reply on the said points has already been furnished to the appellant vide letter dated 14.08.2018. He further submitted that with respect to the information sought vide point no. 2, the appellant was informed about the suspension of one Inspector and two sub-inspectors, including Shri Ajay Malik, and the issuance of Major Penalty charge sheet to them. Further, since at the time of responding to the RTI application, the matter was pending in RPF Court, documents sought vide point no. 3 were denied under Section 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act. The respondent, however, apprising the Commission of the final outcome of the aforesaid matter and submitted that the Page 4 of 7 CIC/NRAIL/A/2018/169351 documents sought vide point no. 3 can now be furnished to the appellant. With respect to the information sought vide point no. 5, the respondent submitted that copy of relevant regulation has already been furnished to the appellant. Further, under the provisions of the RTI Act, only such information as is available and existing and held by the public authority or is under control of the public authority can be provided. The PIO is not supposed to create information that is not a part of the record. He is also not required to interpret information. On being queried regarding information sought vide point no. 1, the respondent submitted that the same pertains to headquarters, Ambala division.
The respondent, Shri Deep Chander Arya, submitted that vide reply dated 06.08.2018, the appelllant was provided with the link to the website of the respondent public authority wherein the due information has already been published. He further submitted that if the appellant wants, a copy of the relevant rules/ orders will be furnished to him.
The written submissions dated 23.09.2020, filed by Assistant Security Commissioner, Moradabad, were taken on record.
Decision:
The Commission, after hearing the submissions of both the parties and perusing the records, directs the CPIO, RPF, Northern Railway, Ambala Division to furnish due information on point no. 3, as agreed. The Commission, further, directs the CPIO, RPF/ HQ, Northern Railway, Baroda House, New Delhi to furnish a copy of the relevant orders/ rules sought vide point no. 4 of the RTI application, as agreed. The Commission, furthermore, observes that the appellant, vide point no. 1, has sought information pertaining to various divisions. However, the Ambala division has Page 5 of 7 CIC/NRAIL/A/2018/169351 failed to furnish a categorical reply on the aforesaid points. Since no officer from Ambala division, Headquarters was present during the hearing, the reason for the same could not be ascertained. The Commission, therefore, directs the CPIO, Ambala division, Headquarters to furnish a categorical reply on point no. 1 to the appellant. The above directions of the Commission shall be complied with within a period of 15 days from the date of receipt of a copy of this order under intimation to the Commission.
With respect to the information sought vide point nos. 2 and 4, the Commission agrees with the respondent that under the provisions of the RTI Act, only such information as is available and existing and held by the public authority or is under control of the public authority can be provided. The PIO is not supposed to create information that is not a part of the record. He is also not required to interpret information or provide clarification or furnish replies to hypothetical questions. Similarly, redressal of grievance, reasons for non compliance of rules/contesting the actions of the respondent public authority are outside the purview of the Act. Since an appropriate reply, as per the available records, on the above noted points has been provided to the appellant by the respondent, hence, no further intervention of the Commission is required in the matter. With the above observations, the appeal is disposed of. Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.
The appeal, hereby, stands disposed of.
Amita Pandove (अिमता पांडव) Information Commissioner (सूचना आयु ) दनांक / Date 29.09.2020 Page 6 of 7 CIC/NRAIL/A/2018/169351 Authenticated true copy (अिभ मािणत स यािपत ित) B. S. Kasana (बी. एस. कसाना) Dy. Registrar (उप-पंजीयक) 011-26105027 Addresses of the parties:
1. The First Appellate Authority (FAA) Northern Railway, RTI Cell, Baroda House, New Delhi - 110 001
2. The Central Public Information Officer Northern Railway, RTI Cell, Baroda House, New Delhi - 110 001
3. The Central Public Information Officer Cum Astt. Security Commissioner, Northern Railway, Railway Protection Force, Divisional Office, Ambala Division, Ambala, Haryana
4. Mr. Ajay Malik Page 7 of 7