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Nagraj Janardan Patil vs Department Of Animal Husbandry And ... on 6 January, 2026

                              के ीय सू चना आयोग
                        Central Information Commission
                           बाबा गंगनाथ माग, मुिनरका
                         Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
                         नई िद ी, New Delhi - 110067


File No: CIC/DOAHD/A/2024/119225/DAHDD

Nagraj Janardan Patil                                 .....अपीलकता/Appellant



                                        VERSUS
                                         बनाम


CPIO,
National Dairy Development
Board, Chandralok Society,
Post Box No.-40, Anand-388001
(Gujarat).                                            .... ितवादीगण /Respondent

Date of Hearing                     :    09.12.2025
Date of Decision                    :    22.12.2025

INFORMATION COMMISSIONER :               Vinod Kumar Tiwari

Relevant facts emerging from appeal:

RTI application filed on            :    25.03.2024
CPIO replied on                     :    10.04.2024
First appeal filed on               :    16.04.2024
First Appellate Authority's order   :    29.04.2024
2nd Appeal/Complaint dated          :    10.06.2024
Information sought

:

1. The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 25.03.2024 (offline) seeking the following information:

"Jalgaon Milk Union meetings: Period to which information relates from 01.04.2023 to 30.09.2023 A) Copies of document received from Jalgaon Milk Union wherein representative of NDDB was requested to attend meeting of board of director and of expert committee of Jalgaon Milk Union.

B) Copies of document indicating name and designation of employee of NDDB, who was directed to attend the meetings at Jalgaon Milk Union.

C) Copies of documents of resolution passed by Jalgaon Milk Union in abovesaid meetings of Board of Directors and of Expert Committee."

2. The CPIO furnished a point-wise reply to the Appellant on 10.04.2024 stating as under:

"a to c The information sought is available with NDDB under fiduciary capacity which is exempted from disclosure as per Section 8(e) of the RTI Act 2005."

3. Being dissatisfied, the Appellant filed a First Appeal dated 16.04.2024. The FAA vide its order dated 29.04.2024, upheld the reply of CPIO.

4. Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied, Appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal.

Relevant Facts emerged during Hearing:

The following were present:-

Appellant: Present through video conference. Respondent: Ms. Sanjeevi Nagrajan, Sr. Manager (Legal Service) and Ms. Pallavi Abhisekh Joshi, Manager, appeared through video conference.

5. Proof of having served a copy of Second Appeal/Complaint on Respondent while filing the same in CIC on 10.06.2024 is available on record.

6. The Appellant inter alia submitted that a criminal case had been filed against him and certain other officials, and in order to defend himself, he required the documents sought under the RTI Act. He argued that the CPIO wrongly denied access to the documents on the ground of fiduciary relationship and requested the Commission to direct disclosure of the information.

7. The Respondent while defending their case inter alia submitted that NDDB acts in an advisory and technical capacity for various cooperative milk unions, including Jalgaon Milk Union. The documents sought by the Appellant consist of internal communications, directions issued to NDDB officers, and minutes/resolutions of meetings received from Jalgaon Milk Union. Each such Milk Union is a commercial entity dealing with other commercial entities. The Respondent submitted that such records are held in a fiduciary capacity, as NDDB receives them in trust during the course of professional assistance to the Milk Union. Therefore, the information is exempt from disclosure under Section 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act. It was further submitted that the Appellant himself, being part of the management of Jalgaon Milk Union, should seek such documents directly from the union through appropriate channels and not through NDDB.

Decision:

8. The Commission after adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case, hearing both the parties and perusal of the records, notes that the information sought was denied by the Respondent under section 8 (1) (e) of the RTI Act. The Commission finds force in the Respondent's contention that NDDB receives the above documents in the course of providing advisory and technical support to Jalgaon Milk Union, and that the relationship between NDDB and the cooperative body is one of trust and confidence, falling squarely within the ambit of fiduciary relationship contemplated under Section 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act.

9. Disclosure of such documents, particularly when the Appellant was himself an office bearer of the Jalgaon Milk Union, would amount to circumvention of the internal governance processes of the cooperative. The appropriate forum for obtaining such records is the Milk Union itself and not NDDB, which only holds them incidentally and in trust. The Commission also CIC/DOAHD/A/2024/119225/DAHDD Page 3 of 4 notes that the Appellant has sought the information in relation to his personal defence in a criminal case. However, the RTI Act is not a mechanism for the redressal of personal grievances or for securing documents for litigation, unless such documents are otherwise disclosable under the Act. Personal requirement of information does not override statutory exemptions. In view of the above, the Commission is satisfied that the CPIO's reply invoking Section 8(1)(e) was appropriate, legally sound and justified. Thus, the matter requires no interference by the Commission.

The appeal is dismissed accordingly.

Sd/-

Vinod Kumar Tiwari (िवनोद कुमार ितवारी) Information Commissioner (सूचना आयु ) Authenticated true copy (अिभ मािणत स ािपत ित) (S. Anantharaman) Dy. Registrar 011- 26181927 Date Copy To:

The FAA, National Dairy Development Board, Chandralok Society, Anand, Gujarat - 388001 CIC/DOAHD/A/2024/119225/DAHDD Page 4 of 4 Recomendation(s) to PA under section 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005:-

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