Central Information Commission
Trupti Milan Purohit vs All India Council For Technical ... on 22 September, 2020
Author: Vanaja N Sarna
Bench: Vanaja N Sarna
केंद्रीय सच
ु ना आयोग
CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION
बाबा गंगनाथ मागग
Baba Gangnath Marg
मनु नरका, नई ददल्ऱी - 110067
Munirka, New Delhi-110067
File no.: - CIC/AICTE/A/2019/110562
In the matter of:
Trupti Milan Purohit
... Appellant
VS
1. Central Public Information Officer,
All India Council for Technical Education,
Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110067
2. Director / CPIO
AICTE - North Western Regional Office,
Plot No. 1, 5th Floor, DTE, Punjab Building,
Sector - 36 - A, Chandigarh - 160036.
... Respondent
RTI application filed on : 13/09/2018 CPIO replied on : Not on record First appeal filed on : 16/11/2018 First Appellate Authority order : Not on record Second Appeal dated : 08/03/2019 Date of Hearing : 21/09/2020 Date of Decision : 21/09/2020 The following were present: Appellant: Heard over phone
Respondent: Ms Neetu Bhagat, CPIO(HQ) and Shri Gurdev, Consultant and representative of the PIO, heard over phone Information Sought:
The appellant has sought the following information with reference to Complaint dated 06/04/2018 regarding Conditional Extension of Approval for 1 the academic year 2017-18 given to Guru Tegh Bahadur Institute of Technology G-8 Area, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi, subject to compliance of deficiency with regard to site plan and building plan.
1. Provide the photocopy of the Action Taken Report and the Investigation report on Anju Pant's complaint dated 06/04/2018.
2. Provide the names of the investigating officials.
3. Provide the photocopy of all the correspondence done till date with the Guru Tegh Bahadur Institute of Technology regarding the above said complaint.
4. And other related information.
Grounds for Second Appeal The CPIO has not provided the complete information.
Submissions made by Appellant and Respondent during Hearing:
The appellant submitted that till date no reply has been provided by the CPIO.
The CPIO Ms Neetu Bhagat was unable to submit anything in connection with the above mentioned RTI application as she requested for some more time to check whether any reply was given to the appellant or not.
The representative of the PIO from North Western Regional Office submitted that since points no. 1 to 5 were related to the AICTE Hqrs, the RTI application was forwarded to them for providing the desired information to the appellant. For points no. 6 & 7, the appellant vide their letter dated 06.11.2018 was directed to pay the requisite photocopying charges for getting the 50 pages of documents which she did not pay.
At this point, the appellant submitted that the letter dated 06.11.2018 was never received by her.
Observations:
From a perusal of the relevant case records, it is noted that initially the RTI application was transferred u/s 6(3) to the North Western Regional Office on 18.09.2018 for providing the relevant information to the appellant. As per the submissions of the representative of the North Western Regional Office made during the hearing, the points no. 1-5 were again forwarded to the AICTE, Hqrs as the matter was related to them.2
On a query to the CPIO, AICTE Hqrs as to whether any reply was given on these points, she was unable to submit anything as she was not prepared for the hearing. Under these circumstances, the Commission concludes that no reply whatsoever has been given to the appellant on these points. Therefore, the CPIO, Ms Neetu Bhagat is directed to provide complete information to the appellant on these points as per the points raised by her in the RTI application.
With regard to points no. 6 & 7, even though a reply was given by the CPIO but the appellant has denied receipt of any such reply. The CPIO, North Western Regional Office is, therefore, directed to provide complete information on these points, free of cost to the appellant.
Decision:
In view of the above, both the CPIOs are directed to provide complete information to the appellant on all the points raised in the RTI application as relevant to each of them, free of cost within a period of 10 days from the date of issue of this order under intimation to the Commission.
The CPIO, Ms Neetu Bhagat is also cautioned to remain extremely careful while handling the RTI applications and to ensure that she comes prepared to attend the hearing before the Commission after collating all the relevant documents and information related to the RTI application.
The appeal is disposed of accordingly.
Vanaja N. Sarna (वनजा एन. सरना) Information Commissioner (सच ू ना आयक् ु त) Authenticated true copy (अभिप्रमाणित सत्यापित प्रतत) A.K. Assija (ऐ.के. असीजा) Dy. Registrar (उप-पंजीयक) 011- 26182594 / दिन ंक / Date 3