Central Information Commission
Om Prakash vs Railway Board on 16 November, 2021
CIC/RAILB/A/2019/139834
के ीय सूचना आयोग
Central Information Commission
बाबागंगनाथ माग,मुिनरका
Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
नई द ली, New Delhi - 110067
ि तीय अपील सं या/ Second Appeal No. CIC/RAILB/A/2019/139834
In the matter of:
Om Prakash ... अपीलकता/Appellant
VERSUS
बनाम
CPIO, ... ितवादीगण /Respondent
/Secretary, Railway Recruitment Board,
Near South East Central Railway Office
Building, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh-495004
Relevant dates emerging from the appeal:
RTI Application filed on : 13.04.2019
CPIO replied on : 20.05.2019
First Appeal filed on : 27.05.2019
First Appellate Authority order : 03.07.2019
Second Appeal Received on : 19.08.2019
Date of Hearing : 27.07.2021 & 16.11.2021
The following were present:
Appellant: Shri Om Prakash participated in the hearing being contacted on his
telephone.
Respondent: Shri P T Naik, Secretary/RRB/Bilaspur & Ms. Geeta Mohapatra,
RRB/Bangalore participated in the hearing being contacted on their respective
telephones.
Page 1 of 9
CIC/RAILB/A/2019/139834
ORDER
Information sought:
The Appellant filed an RTI Application dated 13.04.2019 seeking information as under:
"वांिछत सूचना का िववरण:- E.No. 01/2018 ऑनलाइन फॉम म ई गड़बड़ी म संबंिधत जानकारी।
महोदय जी मने रे लवे भत रोजगार सं या 01/2018 (ALP & Tech) म ऑनलाइन फॉम म शै िणक यो यता म क ा 10वी जो क सन 2001 म रे लवे शाला बी.एम.वाई. चरोदा से उ ीण कया और माण प अनुसार ज मितिथ 07/12/1984 का िववरण दया था जो क ऑनलाइन लॉग इन म 07/12/1994 दखाई दे रहा है।
महोदय जी, मने आई.टी.आई. का िववरण वे डर ेड दया था जो क ऑनलाइन लॉग इन म इले ॉिन स मेकेिनक हो गया है। मने CBT-1 के बाद दनांक 23/09/2018 को पद वरीयता भरने हेतु ऑनलाइन लॉग इन कया तो पाया क मेरी तकिनक शै िणक यो यता वे डर से बदल कर इले ॉिन स दखाई दे रही है एवं िवषय बदलने का िवक प बंद (freeze) है, िजस वजह से म अपना िवषय सही करने म असमथ था। CBT-2 के पहले मैने रे लवे के अिधकारीय से संपक कर समाधान क कोिशश कया पर तु मुझे अिधकारीय ारा टालमटोल कया गया एवं संतोषजनक जवाब नह िमला िजस वजह से मुझे CBT-2 के PART-B म इले ॉिन स िवषय से परी ा देना पड़ा।
अतः अब मेरा चयन ALP के िलये हो गया है, म इस बात से भी अवगत ँ क वे डर ेड ALP के िलये यो य नह है। या मुझे CBT-3 (अिभ िच परी ा) म शािमल होना चािहये ? अगर होना चािहये तो उ ीण होने पर या मुझे ALP क पद पर िनयुि दी जावेगी या फर मुझे के वल तकनीिशयन के िलये ही यो य माना जायेगा ?
महोदय जी, 23/02/2018 को ऑनलाइन फॉम भरने हेतु रे लवे भत बोड ारा मुझसे पये 500/- का शु क िलया गया तथा 19/12/2018 को "NEFT-SBIN618353755190-RRB Page 2 of 9 CIC/RAILB/A/2019/139834 BANGALORE-/ATTN//INB00000035840912386-SBIN0000TBU" ारा पये 240/- ही मेरे खाते म वापस कया गया।"
Shri P. T. Naik, PIO & Secretary, Railway Recruitment Board, Bilaspur vide letter dated 20.05.2019, informed to the Appellant as under:
"आपके ारा चाही गई उपयु जानकारी रे लवे भत बोड, िबलासपुर के द तावेज म उपल ध नह है । अतः उपयु जानकारी ा करने हेतु आपका आवेदन नोडल रेलवे भत बोड को थाना त रत कया गया था। िजसक ितिलिप इस प के साथ संल है | अिपतु वतमान समय तक नोडल रे लवे से इस कायालय म कोई भी भत बोड से जानकारी ा होने पर आपको पुन: जानकारी दान क जा सकती है "
Being dissatisfied, the Appellant filed a First Appeal dated 27.05.2019. The First Appellate Authority vide order dated 03.07.2019, informed as under:
"संदभ :-... (i) आपका आरटीआई आवेदन दनांक- 13/04/2019 ।
(i) आपका आरटीआई अपील आवेदन दनांक- 27/05/2019 ।
सूचना का अिधकार अिधिनयम, 2005 के अंतगत संद भत आपका आरटीआई अपील आवेदन रे लवे भत बोड, िबलासपुर के कायालय म दनांक - 27.05.2019 को ा आ। उपयु आरटीआई अपील आवेदन के अंतगत अधूरा जानकारी उपल ध कराने का उ लेख कया है।
1) उपयु आरटीआई के संदभ म जन सूचना अिधकारी एवं सिचव, रेलवे भत बोड, िबलासपुर के ारा प दनांक 20/05/2019 के मा यम से आपको सूिचत कया गया था आपके ारा चाही गई वािछत जानकारी रे लदे भत बोड, िबलासपुर के कायालय म उपल ध नह है।
2) उपयु जानकारी उपल ध कराने हेतु आपके आरटीआई आवेदन को संबंिधत नोडल रे लवे भत बोड को थानांत रत कया गया था िजसक ितिलिप आरटीआई के साथ संल कर आपको दान कया गया था | Page 3 of 9 CIC/RAILB/A/2019/139834
3) अतः आपके आरटीआई अपील आवेदन को पुनः नोडल आरआरबी को थानांत रत कया गया है | िजसक छाया ितिलिप इस प के साथ संल है।
एतद् ारा आपके अपीलीय आवेदन का िनपटारा कया जाता है।"
Grounds for Second Appeal:
The Appellant filed a Second Appeal u/s 19 of the Act on the ground of unsatisfactory reply furnished by the Respondent. He requested the Commission to direct the CPIO to provide complete information sought for.
Submissions made by Appellant and Respondent during Hearing:
In order to ensure social distancing and prevent the spread of the pandemic, COVID-19, the instant hearing is being scheduled through audio conference after informing both the parties.
The Appellant reiterated the contents of the RTI Application and stated that he has filled the right date of birth in the application form then how a wrong date of birth can be registered in the application form?
Shri P T Naik submitted that one centralized notice i.e. 01/2018 has been issued for the vacancies of Loco Pilot & Technicians in the month of January, 2018 and the said notice contains the detailed process regarding filling of application form. He further submitted that RRB/Bangalore has the major role as the verification has been done by RRB/Bangalore only. He also submitted that the reply has also been provided by RRB/Bangalore on 17.10.2019. The Commission interjected to quote that the relevant part of the reply which is as under:-Page 4 of 9
CIC/RAILB/A/2019/139834 In response, he submitted that since the date of birth has wrongly been mentioned in the said letter, therefore another letter dated 21.10.2019 has been issued vide which the said mistake has been rectified. The relevant part of the said letter is as under:-
On being queried by the Commission as to how the typological error can be committed with respect to the date of birth in the letter dated 17.10.2019 when the whole issue is of date of birth only, Ms. Geeta Mohapatra replied that since she has recently joined the office, therefore she is not well versed with the facts of the instant matter, and hence wants some time to respond.
A written submission has been received by the Commission from the Appellant vide letter dated 17.06.2021, wherein he has given background of the instant case.
A written submission has been received by the Commission from Shri P. T. Naik, PIO & Secretary, Railway Recruitment Board, Bilaspur vide letter dated 16.07.2021, wherein he has reiterated the facts and circumstances of the instant case.
Interim Decision:
Upon perusal of the facts on record as well as on the basis of the proceedings during the hearing, the Commission observes that since the answering Respondent, RRB/Bangalore has recently joined the office, hence she is not well versed with Page 5 of 9 CIC/RAILB/A/2019/139834 the facts of the instant matter and therefore could not be able to give a cogent reply to the query of the Commission, thus the Commission grants a last opportunity of hearing to both the parties, instead of deciding the instant Appeal on merits. Thus, in the interest of justice, the Commission, hereby, adjourns the matter. The Commission directs the Registry of this Bench to issue a fresh Notice for Hearing to the parties concerned as well as to the concerned CPIO, RRB/Bangalore.
Copy of the interim decision be provided free of cost to the parties.
The matter is, hereby, adjourned.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE HEARING DATED 16.11.2021 The following were present:
Appellant: Shri Om Prakash participated in the hearing through video conferencing from NIC Kolkata.
Respondent: Smt. Geeta Mohapatra, PIO and Member Secretary, Railway Recruitment Board-Bangalore and Shri U.S.S. Rao, Asst. Secretary, Railway Recruitment Board-Bilaspur participated in the hearing through video conferencing from NIC Bangalore and NIC Bilaspur respectively.
The Appellant stated that he is not satisfied with the reply provided by the Respondent because he was qualified in the CBT and that the marks secured by him were above the cut-off of his community for the post of Welder.
Smt. Geeta Mohapatra reiterated the contents of the written submission dated 19.08.2021. She submitted by prefixing a disclaimer that without casting aspersions on the Appellant, that there might be chances that the Appellant might Page 6 of 9 CIC/RAILB/A/2019/139834 have inadvertently entered his date of birth as 1994 instead of 1984. She further submitted that the Appellant might have even selected the wrong trade under the ITI qualification details due to oversight.
Shri U.S.S. Rao submitted that he has selected Electronics Mechanic as 'Trade' under the ITI qualification and consequently, the Appellant were not having that qualification as per the records available with them.
The Appellant interjected to state that he has entered correct details and he is not certain as to how the relevant details which he had keyed-in were changed.
A written submission has been received by the Commission from Shri B. Sreenidhi, APIO and Chief Office Superintendent, RRB-Bangalore vide letter dated 19.08.2021, wherein he has informed the Commission as under:
Page 7 of 9CIC/RAILB/A/2019/139834 Final Decision:
Upon perusal of the facts on record as well as on the basis of the proceedings during the hearing, the Commission observes that the both the Appellant and the Respondent are right in their contentions. The Commission also observes that the subject-matter of the instant RTI Application pertains to anomaly/difference in the data of the candidate/Appellant available in the e-application and the data which candidate/Appellant is submitting with the RTI Application. As far as the jurisdiction of the Commission is concerned, the Commission has the power/authority to only disseminate information to the applicant as sought in the instant RTI Application. Subsequently, the contents of the written submission of Shri P.T. Naik, CPIO and Secretary, Railway Recruitment Board, Bilaspur; contents of the written submission of Shri B. Sreenidhi, APIO and Chief Office Superintendent, RRB-Bangalore are self-explanatory, the Commission finds no further scope of intervention in the instant matter. With the above observations, the instant Second Appeal is disposed of. Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.
The Appeal, hereby, stands disposed of.
Amita Pandove (अिमता पांडव) Information Commissioner (सूचना आयु ) दनांक / Date: 16.11.2021 Page 8 of 9 CIC/RAILB/A/2019/139834 Authenticated true copy (अिभ मािणत स यािपत ित) B. S. Kasana (बी. एस. कसाना) Dy. Registrar (उप-पंजीयक) 011-26105027 Addresses of the parties:
1. The First Appellate Authority (FAA) Chairman, Railway Recruitment Board, Near South East Central Railway Office Building, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh-495004
2. The Central Public Information Officer, /Secretary, Railway Recruitment Board, Near South East Central Railway Office Building, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh-495004
3. Shri Om Prakash COPY TO:
The Central Public Information Officer, Railway Recruitment Board, 18, Millers Road, Bangalore Page 9 of 9