Central Information Commission
G Padma Latha vs Indian Oil Corporation Limited (Iocl) on 17 February, 2026
केन्द्रीय सूचना आयोग
Central Information Commission
बाबा गंगनाथ मागग, मुननरका
Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
नई निल्ली, New Delhi - 110067
File No: CIC/IOCLD/A/2024/135887
G Padma Latha .....अपीलकर्ाग /Appellant
VERSUS
बनाम
CPIO : Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., ....प्रनर्वािीगण /Respondent
Indian Oil Bhavan, Fateh Bagh,
Moosapet, Kukatpally Industrial
Estate, Sanath Nagar, Hyderabad -
500018.
Date of Hearing : 17-02-2026
Date of Decision : 17-02-2026
INFORMATION COMMISSIONER : Khushwant Singh Sethi
Relevant facts emerging from appeal:
RTI application filed on : 27-06-2024
CPIO replied on : 13-08-2024
First appeal filed on : 23-08-2024
First Appellate Authority's order : 24-09-2024
2nd Appeal dated : 04-11-2024
CIC/IOCLD/A/2024/135887 Page 1 of 6
Information sought:
1. The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 27-06-2024 seeking the following information:
"It is my humble request to you that provide me all related documents of the Reconstitution of Padma Gas Service, Warasiguda, Boudhanagar, Secunderabad-500061."
2. The CPIO furnished a reply to the Appellant on 13-08-2024 stating as under:
"The information sought has been treated as third party information by the CPIO. Accordingly, a notice dated 02.07.2024 was issued to the said third party under Section 11. The said third party has replied vide letter dated 02.07.2024 stating that "the information provided by the said third party pertains to commercial confidence and trade secret, hence the same is not to be provided".
The copy of the said reply is annexed herewith."
3. Being dissatisfied, the Appellant filed a First Appeal dated 23-08-2024. The FAA vide its order dated 24-09-2024, upheld the reply given by the 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: Absent.
Respondent: Mr. Suraj Kumar Patnaik, Chief General Manager (Operations), attended the hearing through video conference.
5. The Respondent submitted that the appellant sought documents of the Reconstitution of Padma Gas Service. The respondent submitted that the said CIC/IOCLD/A/2024/135887 Page 2 of 6 gas agency was reconstituted once in 2019 and for the other time in 2021 at the request of the then proprietor Smt. M.B.T Sundari. The respondent submitted that, during the reconstitution in 2021, the said proprietor had voluntarily retired from the distributorship and thereafter, the reconstitution was processed as per IOCL guidelines, after obtaining affidavits, consent documents etc. The respondent submitted that since the sought information pertains to commercial confidence and trade secrets of third-party, they have issued notice U/s 11(1) of the RTI Act to the concerned distributor and third-party denied consent. Hence, the sought information was denied to the appellant.
6. Written submission dated 13.02.2026 filed by the respondent is taken on record and relevant portion of the same is reproduced below:
"5. The records sought pertain to the reconstitution of an LPG distributorship of IOCL, originally commissioned in 1984 and subsequently reconstituted in 2019 and 2021 pursuant to requests made by the then proprietor, Smt. M.B.T. Sundari.
6. The distributorship was first reconstituted in 2019 upon her request citing health grounds, and subsequently reconstituted again in 2021, wherein she voluntarily retired from the distributorship. The reconstitution was processed in accordance with prevailing IOCL guidelines, after obtaining affidavits, consent documents, minutes of meeting, and requisite declarations.
7. Upon receipt of the RTI application, the CPIO examined the nature of the information sought and found that the documents requested comprised dealership agreements. shareholding structures. affidavits. commercial terms, and internal reconstitution documents relating to a third-party business entity.CIC/IOCLD/A/2024/135887 Page 3 of 6
8. Accordingly, the CPIO invoked Section 11(1) of the RTI Act and issued a notice dated 02.07.2024 to the concerned distributor inviting objections to disclosure.
The copy of the Section 11 letter dated 02.07.2024 is annexed herewith and marked as Annexure 3.
9. The third party responded vide letter dated 02.07.2024 objecting to disclosure on the ground that the information pertained to commercial confidence and trade secrets.
The Copy of Third-Party Reply dated 02.07.2024 is annexed herewith and marked as Annexure 4.
10. After considering the objection, the CPIO passed a reasoned reply dated 13.08.2024 declining disclosure in view of Sections 8(1)(d). 8(1)(j). and Section 11 of the Act."
Decision:
6. The Commission, after adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case, hearing the respondent and perusal of the records, observes that the appellant alleged that the partners who entered into agreement with her mother, Ms. MBT Sundari has stopped sharing the revenue and Ms. Sundari never signed any documents relinquishing her share. Hence, she sought the documents pertaining to the reconstitution of the said gas agency. Also, the respondent has stated that they have issued notice U/s 11(1) of the RTI Act to the current owners of the said gas agency for consent. The Commission took note of the fact that the respondent has processed the reconstitution in 2021 after obtaining affidavits, consent documents and requisite declarations from Ms. Sundari and hence the sought documents pertains to Ms. Sundari as well.CIC/IOCLD/A/2024/135887 Page 4 of 6
Hence, the respondent has erred in serving notice only to the current owners of the gas agency thereby eliminating Ms. Sundari. Therefore, the respondent is directed to obtain an No Objection Certificate from Ms. Sundari, as to whether she is willing to disclose the sought documents. It is made clear that only upon receipt of the aforesaid NOC, the respondent shall provide the sought documents to the appellant. The respondent is directed to provide the sought documents, after redacting, third-party information such as names of other third-parties, Account details, addresses etc. in consonance with Section 10 of the RTI Act. The respondent shall provide the sought documents to the appellant, strictly after obtaining a No Objection Certificate from Ms. Sundari, within 30 days from the date of receipt of this order under intimation to the Commission - both through post and via uploading on http://dsscic.nic.in/online-link-paper-compliance/add. Accordingly, the appeal is disposed of.
Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.
(Khushwant Singh Sethi) (खुशवन्त स िंह ेठी) Information Commissioner ( ूचना आयुक्त) निनां क/Date: 17.02.2026 Authenticated true copy S. K. Chitkara (एस. के. नचटकारा) Dy. Registrar (उप-पंजीयक) 011-26107026 CIC/IOCLD/A/2024/135887 Page 5 of 6 Copy To:
1. The CPIO Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Indian Oil Bhavan, Fateh Bagh, Moosapet, Kukatpally Industrial Estate, Sanath Nagar, Hyderabad - 500018.
2. The FAA, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Indian Oil Bhavan, Fateh Bagh, Moosapet, Kukatpally Industrial Estate, Sanath Nagar, Hyderabad - 500018.
3. G Padma Latha CIC/IOCLD/A/2024/135887 Page 6 of 6 Recomendation(s) to PA under section 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005:-
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