Central Information Commission
Rajkumar Jain vs Indian Oil Corporation Limited (Iocl) 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/IOCLD/A/2024/611733
Shri RAJKUMAR JAIN ... अपीलकर्ता/Appellant
VERSUS/बनाम
PIO, ...प्रतिवादीगण /Respondent
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)
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 : 12.01.2024
PIO replied on : 13.02.2024
First Appeal filed on : 17.02.2024
First Appellate Order on : 12.03.2023
2ndAppeal/complaint received on : 15.03.2023
Information soughtand background of the case:
The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 12.01.2024 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 FOR TERRITORY KANPUR DISTRICT JHANSI UTTAR PRADESH PROVIDE FULL AND CLEAR INFOMATION INCLUDING ATTACHED DOCUMENTS PROVIDED BY EACH APPLICANT AS PER DETAIL GIVEN BELOW LOCATION SERIAL NUMBER AND LOCATION DESCRIPTION SR NO 600 Atal chowk to Jeevanshah Tiraha Via BKD chauraha, Within muncipal limits of Jhansi SR NO 620 Between Maharaja Agrasen Chowk and MP Border on Bhagwantpura Road, Within municipal limits of Jhansi SR NO 717 Between KM stone no 8 and 16 on NH 39 RHS while going from jhansi to Chattarpur Page 1 SR NO 756 Between KM stone no 0 and 8 on NH 39 RHS while going from Jhansi to Chattarpur SR NO 789 Between KM stone no 0 and 16 on NH 39 LHS while going from Jhansi to Chattarpur THATS HOW MANY APPLICANT APPLIED FOR ABOVE LOCATIONS PROVIDE INFORMATION LIST OF APPLICANTS OF EACH LOCATION PROVIDE INFORMATION OF FILLED APPLICATION FORM DETAILS OF EACH APPLICANT INCLUDING OFFER LAND DETAILS AND WHATSOEVER DOCUMENTS ATTACHED BY EACH APPLICANT FOR ABOVE LOCATION RETAIL OUTLETS THATS WHEN OR WHICH STAGE APPLICANTS GROUP DECIDE THAT APPLICANTS ARE IN GROUP 1 OR GROUP 2 PROVIDE FULL INFORMATION IN DETAILS."
The CPIO, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Lucknow vide letter dated 13.02.2024 replied as under:-
"R-1) Please be informed that you are third party and the information sought by you does not connect to any public interest but providing the same may harm the competitive position of the applicant/s, personal security and will hamper selection for the above location which is under process. Further, please be informed that the information which have been sought by you, have been submitted by the candidates in a fiduciary capacity with the corporation and are personal & sensitive in nature. Hence, we are unable to provide the same.
Such details/documents are exempted from disclosure under Sections 8(1)(d), 8(1)(e), 8(1)(j) & 8(1)(g) of the RTI Act, 2005 and CIC judgment ref. 30/IC/(A)/06 dated 20.04.2006 & ref. CIC/LS/C/2012/000502/SH dated 05.06.2014.
R-2) We would like to inform you that the information sought by you l.e. list of applicants for each location are readily available at public domain website:
www.petrolpumpdealerchayan.in. You may access the same. R-3) Please refer our answer to query No.1. R-4) In this regard, please refer Brochure for 'Selection of Dealers for Regular and Rural Retail Outlets' published in June 2023 which is readily available at public domain website: www.petrolpumpdealerchayan.in. You may also refer the clause 4 (vi) at Page 5 of the Brochure."
Dissatisfied with the response received from the CPIO, the Appellant filed a First Appeal dated 17.02.2024. The FAA vide order dated 12.03.2024 stated as under:-
"अपीलकर्ता ने आनलाइन अपील सं ° IOCLD/A/E/24/00079 दिनां क 17.02.2024, उसके ऑनलाइन आरटीआई आवेदन संख्या IOCLD/R/E/23/02501, दिनां क 12.01.2024 का जन सूचना अधिकारी द्वारा दिये गए उत्तर दिनां क 13.02.2024 से असंतुष्ट होकर दाखिल किया हैं ।
Page 2 मैंने जन सूचना अधिकारी द्वारा दी गई सूचना दिनां क 19.02.2024 का अवलोकन किया और मैं उससे सहमत हूँ । जन सूचना अधिकारी द्वारा यह भी बताया गया हैं कि अपीलार्थी ने जिन पाँ च लोकेशनों से संबन्धित सूचना माँ गी है , वहाँ पर चयन प्रक्रिया जारी हैं । अपीलार्थी का यह कथन हैं कि आवेदकों द्वारा कॉर्पोरे शन के समक्ष दाखिल किये गये दस्तावेज, ब्राउचर के अनुसार जन सूचना अधिनियम के अंतर्गत दिये जाने योग्य है , स्वीकार्य नहीं है । अपीलार्थी को पुनः यह सूचित किया जाता हैं कि जिन पाँ च लोकेशनों से संबन्धित सूचना अपीलार्थी ने माँ गी हैं वहाँ पर चयन प्रक्रिया जारी हैं । अतः जब तक चयन प्रक्रिया पूर्ण नहीं हो जाती, उन लोकेशनों के आवेदकों से संबन्धित कोई भी सूचना प्रदान नहीं की जा सकती है ।"
Aggrieved and dissatisfied, the Appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal.
Facts emerging in Course of Hearing:
Appellant: Present Respondent: Shri Uday Narain , DGM The CPIO relied on the written submission dated 27.1.2025 and stated that at the time of RTI, the selection process for the above locations was under
process and still is in progress as per dealer selection guidelines and none of the five Retail outlets sites has been finalized/commissioned till date.
The appellant Sh. Rajkumar Jain is not an applicant for the above said locations. He has sought third party information i.e. application form for all the candidates along with selected candidates. The point wise reply (04 nos. queries) against online RTI application dated 12.01.2024 has been duly furnished to the appellant Shri Rajkumar Jain as per provision of the RTI Act, 2005 vide our letter dated 13.02.2024. In the query nos, 1 and 3, the appellant has sought details and copy of filled application forms including offered land and whatsoever documents attached by each applicant along with supporting documents submitted by all the candidates for the above five locations, It was replied that Appellant is a third party and the information sought by him does not connect to any public interest but providing the same may harm the competitive position of the applicant/s, personal security and will hamper selection for the above location which is under process. Further, please be informed that the information which have been sought, have been submitted by the candidates in a fiduciary capacity with the corporation and are personal & sensitive in nature. Hence, we are unable to provide the same.
Exemption from disclosure of the same is available under Section 8(1) (d), (e), (1) & (g) of the RTI Act, 2005 Decision:
Upon the perusal of the case records & submissions, the Commission observes that an appropriate reply has been provided by the CPIO.
The Commission noted that voluntary disclosure of all information that ought to be displayed in the public domain should be the rule and the members of the society seeking information by filing the RTI should be an exception. An open government, which is the cherished objective of the RTI Act, can be realised only if all public offices comply with proactive disclosure norms. Section 4(2) of the RTI Act mandates every public authority to provide as Page 3 much information suo-motu to the public at regular intervals through various means of communications, including the Internet, so that the public need not resort to the use of RTI Act. In this regard the CPIO is advised to suo motu release the information w.r.t the selection of dealers for regular & rural retail outlets on its official website of the department after the selection process for dealers for regular & rural retail outlets is completed. 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. 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 4 Recomendation(s) to PA under section 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005:-
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