Central Information Commission
Mr. Avtar Singh vs President Secretariat on 12 September, 2012
Central Information Commission, New Delhi
File No.CIC/SM/A/2011/002981
Right to Information Act2005Under Section (19)
Date of hearing : 12 September 2012
Date of decision : 12 September 2012
Name of the Appellant : Shri Avtar Singh,
Supdt. Gd. 1 (Retired),
H.No. 2524, Phase - 7, Mohali.
Name of the Public Authority : CPIO, President's Secretariat,
RTI Cell, Rashtrapati Bhawan,
New Delhi - 110 004.
The Appellant was present in person.
On behalf of the Respondent Shri J.G. Subramanian, was present.
Chief Information Commissioner : Shri Satyananda Mishra
2. The Appellant was present in the Mohali studio of the NIC. The Respondent was present in our chamber. We heard both their submissions.
3. The Appellant had, it seems, sent a complaint to the President of India on 12 December 2010 in which he had alleged that he had been wrongfully evicted from his house by two senior officers. In his RTI application, he had wanted to know about the action taken on that complaint. The CPIO informed him that his representation had already been forwarded to the Chandigarh Administration for further necessary action and that his RTI application was also being forwarded to the CPIO of that Administration to inform him about whatever action might have been taken. The Appellate Authority had endorsed the stand taken by the CPIO.
CIC/SM/A/2011/002981
4. The Appellant submitted that he was not happy with the response of the CPIO as he had expected that his complaint should have been put up to the President of India and she should have taken any action on that. In any case, he pointed out, the Chandigarh Administration did not provide him any information on the complaint.
5. After carefully considering the facts of the case, we find nothing wrong in the response of the CPIO. He had truthfully informed the Appellant about the only action the President Secretariat had taken on the complaint, namely, of forwarding it to the Chandigarh Administration. Since the RTI application had been transferred to that Administration, it was expected that the CPIO there should have written to the Appellant within the stipulated time period and provided whatever information he had on the subject.
6. We direct the CPIO of the President Secretariat to forward a copy of this order to the CPIO of the Chandigarh Administration along with the details of the forwarding of the Appellant's complaint of 12 December 2010 within five working days of receiving this order. We further direct the CPIO of the Chandigarh Administration to write to the Appellant within 10 working days of receiving the copy of the order and other details from the President Secretariat and to provide him with whatever information is available on the disposal of the complaint.
6. The appeal is disposed off accordingly.
7. Copies of this order be given free of cost to the parties. CIC/SM/A/2011/002981 (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.
(Vijay Bhalla) Deputy Registrar CIC/SM/A/2011/002981