Information about the eligibility for membership of CSOI - DoPT: Membership is open to serving & retired officers of the grade of Deputy Secretary to the GoI & above from AIS & Group ‘A’ officers of equivalent status - CIC: Provide complete information
30 Jan, 2017O R D E R
Decision Dated 19.01.2017
1. Shri Hari Om Maratha filed an application dated 11.09.2015 under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) before the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Civil Services Officers’ Institute (CSOI), Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) seeking information on five points pertaining to eligibility for membership of CSOI. The CPIO, DoPT vide letter dated 22.09.2015 transferred the RTI application to CSOI.
2. The appellant filed a second appeal dated 11.01.2015 before the Commission on the grounds that the CPIO has provided vague and evasive information.
Hearing:
3. The appellant Shri Hari Om Maratha and the respondent Shri Jayant Singh, Sr. Manager and CPIO, CSOI were present in person.
4. The appellant submitted that correct and complete information in response to the RTI application has not been provided to him. The appellant further submitted that as per the Memorandum of Association (MOA), membership of CSOI is opened to the serving and retired officers of the grade of Deputy Secretary to the Government of India and above from All India Services and Group ‘A’ officers of equivalent status. The appellant submitted that he was appointed on 02.08.1999 as a Judicial Member in the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal and hence, he was eligible for membership of CSOI.
5. The respondent submitted that information as per available records has been provided to the appellant vide letter dated 17.10.2015.
Decision:
6. The Commission, after hearing the submissions of the respondent and perusing the records, observes that complete information has not been provided to the appellant on point nos. 1, 2 and 4 of the RTI application. The Commission, therefore, directs the respondent to provide complete and correct information on point nos. 1, 2 and 4 of the RTI application to the appellant with a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.
7. With the above observations, the appeal is disposed of.
8. Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.
(Sudhir Bhargava)
Information Commissioner
Citation : Shri Hari Om Maratha v. Civil Services Officers’ Institute in Decision No. CIC/SB/A/2016/000181