Central Information Commission
Akhilesh Verma vs Department Of Posts on 8 April, 2024
के ीय सूचना आयोग
Central Information Commission
बाबा गंगनाथ माग,मुिनरका
Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
नई द ली, New Delhi - 110067
ि तीय अपील सं या / Second Appeal No. CIC/POSTS/A/2023/669939
Akhilesh Verma ... अपीलकता/Appellant
VERSUS
बनाम
CPIO: Department of Posts
New Delhi ... ितवादीगण/Respondent
Relevant dates emerging from the appeal:
RTI : 09.10.2022 FA : 04.11.2022 SA : 28.12.2022
CPIO : 03.11.2022 FAO : Not on record Hearing : 04.04.2024
Date of Decision: 05.04.2024
CORAM:
Hon'ble Commissioner
_ANANDI RAMALINGAM
ORDER
1. The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 09.10.2022 seeking information on the following points:
(i) पो ऑिफस म नाग रकों ारा खोले गए बचत एवं आवत जमा खातों की समय सीमा पूण हो जाने पर उ उ खाते की रािश के भुगतान की ा णािलयां है ? जैसे िक चेक एनईएफटी आरटीजीएस आइएमपीएस आिद
(ii) बचत या आवत जमा खाते की सीमा पूण हो जाने पर अिधकतम िकतने िदवस म उ रािश खाताधारक को िमल जानी चािहए Page 1 of 5
(iii) खाताधारक को भुगतान की समय सीमा िनकल जाने के प ात दे री होने पर िकस तरह के दं ड या सजा का ावधान है
(iv) ा यह भुगतान णािलयां रा र िजला र तहसील र पर प रवतनशील है या संपूण भारतवष म एक ही िनयम है
(v) यिद कोई स म अिधकारी अपने र पर िडिजटल भुगतान ना करते ए अ भुगतान णाली का उपयोग करता है तो उ अिधकारी पर िकस िकस तरह की कायवाही का ावधान है
2. The CPIO replied vide letter dated 03.11.2022 and the same is reproduced as under:-
".... उ र-1 मांगी गई जानकारी पी. ओ. एस. बी. सी बी एस मैनुअल (31.12.2021 तक ठीक िकया) म पाठ 3, के िनयम 20 मे उपल है । जो की भारतीय डाक की वेबसाइट जो नीचे दी गई है म उपल है ।
www.indiapost.gov.in उ र-2 मां गी गई जानकारी जो की भारतीय डाक की वेबसाइट जो नीचे दी गई है म िसिटज़न चाटर के प म उपल है -
www.indiapost.gov.in
उ र-3- ऐसी कोई जानकारी उपल नहीं है ।
उ र -4- भारतीय डाक के सभी डाकघरों म एक ही िनयम है ।
उ र -5- मांगी गई जानकारी िशकायत की कृित की है जो की सूचना का अिधकार अिधिनयम, 2005 के दायरे म नहीं आती. इसिलए कोई जानकारी नहीं दी जाती है। यिद, यिद आपको डाक िवभाग से संबंिधत कोई िशकायत है तो आप िशकायत दज करा सकते ह। www.indiapost.gov.in पर अपनी िशकायत दज कर या 18002666868 पर कॉल कर।"Page 2 of 5
3. Dissatisfied with the response received from the CPIO, the Appellant filed a First Appeal dated 04.11.2022 alleging that the information provided was incomplete, false and misleading. The order of FAA, if any is not on the record of the commission.
4. Aggrieved with non-receipt of the FAA's order, the Appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal dated 28.12.2022.
5. The appellant attended the hearing through video conference and on behalf of the respondent Mohammad Iqbal, ASP attended the hearing in person.
6. The appellant inter alia submitted that the reply furnished by the respondent was not in accordance with the information sought in the RTI application. He requested the Commission to direct the respondent to furnish the information, as sought.
7. The respondent while defending their case inter alia submitted that a response to the RTI application had already been furnished to the appellant vide their letter dated 03.11.2022. He further submitted that the information sought was already in public domain and a website link was also provided to the appellant to access the information sought. A written submission of the respondent is reproduced as under:-
"It is submitted that w.r.t to the information sought for by the appellant in point numbers 1,2,3,4 & 5 were provided correctly to the appellant as per available records within prescribed time limit. The First Appeal was disposed off after considering the merits and facts of the case.
It is also to submit that Department of Posts is providing large number of services and products to the public information of which are already available in public domain, and accordingly link of indiapost website www.indiapost.gov.in was provided along with name of document, where the rule can be checked. RTI was replied accordingly and was disposed of correctly by the CPIO. on 03.11.2022. As such, questions of providing incomplete information by CPIO do not arise'.
Hence, it is submitted that information sought by the appellant were correctly provided by the CPIO to the appellant'"Page 3 of 5
8. The Commission after adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case, hearing both parties and perusal of records, observes that the CPIO has provided an appropriate reply to the RTI Application as per the provisions of the RTI Act vide letter dated 03.11.2022. The Commission notes that link of the inidanpost has been provided to the appellant along with the name of the documents, where the rules can be checked. Further the CPIO is not supposed to collect and cull out the information which is already available in public domain. In that regard, Delhi High Court in Registrar Of Companies & Ors. Vs. Dharmendra Kumar Garg & Anr. [W.P.(C) 11271/2009], dated 01.06.2012 "12. The RTI Act very clearly sets the course for the evolution of the RTI regime, which is that less and less information should be progressively held by public authorities, which would be accessed under the RTI Act and more and more of such held information should be brought into the public domain suo-motu by such public authority. Once the information is brought into the public domain it is excluded from the purview of the RTI Act and, the right to access this category of information shall be on the basis of whether the public authority discloses it free, or at such cost of the medium or the print cost price "as may be prescribed". The Act therefore vests in the public authority the power and the right to prescribe the mode of access to voluntarily disclosed information, i.e. either free or at a prescribed cost / price."
9. In view of above, the Commission finds no scope for further intervention in the matter. With this observation and direction, the appeal is dismissed.
Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.
Sd/-
(Anandi Ramalingam) (आनंदी राम लंगम) Information Commissioner (सूचना आयु ) दनांक/Date: 05.04.2024 Authenticated true copy Col S S Chhikara (Retd) (कनल एस एस िछकारा ( रटायड)) Dy. Registrar (उप पंजीयक) 011-26180514 Page 4 of 5 Addresses of the parties:
1. The CPIO O/o. The Postmaster General, Nodal CPIO & RTI Cell, Director of Postal Services, Department of Posts, Delhi Circle, Meghdoot Bhawan, Link Road, New Delhi-110001
2. Akhilesh Verma Page 5 of 5 Recomendation(s) to PA under section 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005:-
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