In case of transfer of application, should PIO charge application fee on behalf of other offices?
31 Mar, 2013Background
The appellant filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act with the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) seeking certified copies of list of 4940 candidates selected. He wanted the list certifying them to be temporary employees for more than five years and who were duly offered letters of appointment on temporary basis and other related information. The Public Information Officer (PIO) informed that the information sought cannot be provided as the same has to be collected from over 115 Divisional Offices and would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority.
Proceedings
During the hearing before the Central Information Commission (CIC), the appellant submitted that information has not been provided on the ground that the case is pending before the Honourable Supreme Court of India. The respondent submitted that the information submitted before the Apex Court has been obtained from 8 Zonal Offices regarding the number of candidates and the same information has already been provided to the appellant. The respondent also stated that the rest of the information cannot be provided as the same has to be collected and compiled from 115 Divisional Offices. The appellant pressed the respondents to transfer his RTI application to all the 115 Divisional offices. The PIO offered an opportunity to the appellant to send a soft copy of the RTI application to the Central Office, Mumbai which will be electronically transferred to 115 Divisional Office.
View of CIC
The Commission observed that collection and compilation of information from over 115 Divisional Offices would disproportionately divert the resources of the LIC. The Commission directed the appellant to send a soft copy of the RTI application electronically to the Central Office of LIC of India along with the fee of Rs. 1150/- (115 x Rs. 10/- = Rs. 1150/-) as per the RTI Act. The CIC directed the PIO to transfer electronically the RTI Application to PIO’s of the 115 Divisional offices across India along with the direction to provide the information to appellant directly, after the requisite fees has been paid by the appellant.
Citation: Mr. Murari Prasad v LIC of India in Appeal: No. CIC/DS/A/2012/001639
RTI Citation : RTIFI/2013/CIC/1163
Click here to view original RTI order of Court / Information Commission