Central Information Commission
Rajkumar Jain vs Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited ... on 3 February, 2025
Author: Heeralal Samariya
Bench: Heeralal Samariya
के न्द्रीय सूचना आयोग
Central Information Commission
बाबा गंगनाथ मार्ग, मुनिरका
Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
नई दिल्ली, New Delhi - 110067
द्वितीय अपील संख्या / Second Appeal No. CIC/BPCLD/A/2024/602240
Shri RAJKUMAR JAIN ... अपीलकर्ता/Appellant
VERSUS/बनाम
PIO, ...प्रतिवादीगण /Respondent
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)
Date of Hearing : 29.01.2025
Date of Decision : 29.01.2025
Chief Information Commissioner : Shri Heeralal Samariya
Relevant facts emerging from appeal:
RTI application filed on : 15.12.2023
PIO replied on : 20.12.2023
First Appeal filed on : 22.12.2023
First Appellate Order on : 04.01.2024
2 Appeal/complaint received on
nd
: 08.01.2024
Information soughtand background of the case:
The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 15.12.2023 seeking information on following points:-
"RTI APPLICATION AS PER YOUR BROCHURE SELECTION OF DEALERS FOR REGULAR & RURAL RETAIL OUTLETS PAGE 36 OF PARA XI INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR ADVERTISEMENT DATE 28 JUNE 2023 AND CLOSING DATE 17 OCTOBER 2023 REGARDING TERRITORY KANPUR DISTRICT JHANSI UTTAR PRADESH PROVIDE FULL AND CLEAR INFOMATION INCLUDING ATTACHED DOCUMENTS PROVIDED BY EACH APPLICANT IN THEIR APPLICATION FORM AS PER DETAIL GIVEN BELOW-
LOCATION SERIAL NUMBER AND LOCATION DESCRIPTION- #SR NO 863 BTW KM STONE NO 1370 AND 1374 ON LHS OF SHIVPURI TO JHANSI ROAD NH 27 EXCLUDING FLYOVER BRIDGE #SR NO 884 BTW KM STONE NO 1418 AND 1422 ON RHS OF JHANSI KANPUR ROAD NH 27 EXCLUDNG FLYOVER BRIDGE #SR NO 929 FROM MAHARAJA AGRASEN CHOWK TOWARDS PRATAPPURA IN JHANSI WML #SR NO 961 WITHIN 1 KM FROM BKD CHAURAHA IN JHANSI WML A-THATS HOW MANY APPLICANT APPLIED FOR ABOVE LOCATIONS PROVIDE INFORMATION LIST OF APPLICANTS OF EACH LOCATION B-PROVIDE INFORMATION OF FILLED APPLICATION FORM DETAILS OF EACH APPLICANT INCLUDING OFFER LAND DETAILS AND WHATSOEVER Page 1 DOCUMENTS ATTACHED BY EACH APPLICANT FOR ABOVE LOCATION RETAIL OUTLETS C-THATS WHEN OR WHICH STAGE APPLICANTS GROUP DECIDE THAT APPLICANT ARE IN GROUP 1 OR GROUP 2 PROVIDE FULL INFORMATION IN DETAILS."
The CPIO, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Lucknow vide letter dated 20.12.2023 replied as under:-
"Reply: (A) Information related to the application numbers and names of the applicants of all the above mentioned locations is available online on the Dealer Selection Portal, which can be obtained by downloading it from the following link -
https://www.petrolpumpdealerchayan.in/petrol-023/index.php/ advertisements-list?ad id=MTk5 (B) The Dealer Selection process for the aforesaid four locations is not yet completed and the information Requested by you is therefore confidential.
Divulging any information at this stage may hamper the selection process. Hence, information requested by you is denied under section 8(1) (d) & (h) of the RTI Act 2005."
Dissatisfied with the response received from the CPIO, the Appellant filed a First Appeal dated 22.12.2023. The FAA vide order dated 04.01.2024 stated as under:-
"आपकी अपील में वर्णित आरटीआई और उसके प्रत्युतर में दिये गए सीपीआईओ उत्तर प्रदे श के पत्र क्रमां क ल.बीपीसीएलडी/आर/ई/23/01079 दिनां क 20.12.2023 का अवलोकन करने के पश्चात हम सीपीआईओ - उत्तर प्रदे श को निर्देशित कर रहे हैं कि वो आपकी आरटीआई के बिन्दु C का पुनरावलोकन करें और उस पर आरटीआई एक्ट 2005 के प्रावधानों के अंतर्गत कार्यवाही करें । इसके अतिरिक्त मां गी गयी शेष जानकारी का यथोचित जवाब सीपीआईओ उत्तर प्रदे श के उपरोक्त पत्र के द्वारा दे दिया गया है ।"
Aggrieved and dissatisfied with the non-compliance of FAO, the Appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal.
Facts emerging in Course of Hearing:
Appellant: Present Respondent: Shri Vinit Chopra, Retail The CPIO relied on the written submissions dated 16.1.2025 and submitted that all the information requested by the RTI Applicant Sh. Rajkumar Jain was duly provided to him by CPIO vide reply dated 20.12.2023 & 17.01.2024 and there was no query for which information was not provided except details of offered land/ documents submitted by the selected applicants of the above mentioned four NRO locations since selection process had not been completed and divulging any information at that stage would have hampered the selection process hence was denied under section 8(1) (a) & (h) of the RTI Act 2005.
Page 2 The Commission enquired from the CPIO as to the current status of the selection process. However, the CPIO submitted that as the matter involves different locations, the records needs to be checked so as to provide the details regarding the current status w.r.t to the selection process.
Decision:
Upon the perusal of the case records & submissions, the Commission directs the CPIO to revisit the RTI and provide a revised reply to the Appellant disclosing the current status of the selection process. However, no information shall be furnished by the CPIO, on the official website of the department, which is exempted from disclosure under the RTI Act, 2005. In case, relevant record contains any third-party information or any other exempted information then the same must be redacted or blacked out prior to the said disclosure.
The said direction has to be complied within 30 days from the date of receipt of this order and further the compliance report shall be sent to the Commission 01 week thereafter. No further action lies.
The Appeal stands disposed off.
Heeralal Samariya (हीरालाल सामरिया) Chief Information Commissioner (मुख्य सूचना आयुक्त) Authenticated true copy (अभिप्रमाणित सत्यापित प्रति) S. K. Chitkara (एस. के . चिटकारा) Dy. Registrar (उप-पंजीयक) 011-26186535 Page 3 Recomendation(s) to PA under section 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005:-
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