Information regarding expenses made on conducting meetings of agents were sought - CIC: provide the total amount budgeted & actual expenditure incurred in organising All India Agents Meet 2011-12 and the number of the LIC Agents who attended this Meet
27 Jul, 2014Facts:
1. The appellant, Shri S. L. Thakur, submitted RTI application dated 31 December 2012 before the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Life Insurance Corporation of India, Varanasi; seeking information regarding expenses made on conducting meetings of agents, on travelling expenditure of the officers under Varanasi Division etc., through a total of 10 points.
2. Vide reply dated 28 January 2013, CPIO informed the appellant that information sought in point nos. 1, 2, 3, 9 & 10 would be made available on payment of Rs. 15314/ and denied the rest of information on the ground that the requested information was imaginary in nature which did not come within the purview of “information” as defined u/s 2(f) “information” means any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force; of the RTI Act, 2005. Not satisfied with the CPIO’s reply on point nos. 1, 2, 3, 9 & 10, the appellant preferred appeal dated 14 February 2013 to the first appellate authority (FAA). Vide order dated 14 March 2013, FAA held that the appellant had mentioned in his appeal that he was seeking the information under the banner of All India Life Insurance Agents Association, therefore, the appellant was not eligible to get information under RTI Act, 2005.
3. Not satisfied with the response of the public authority, the appellant preferred second appeal before the Commission.
4. The matter was heard today via videoconferencing. The appellant, Shri S.L. Thakur and the respondents, Ms. Kamala Balasubramaniam, CPIO, RTI Cell and Shri A.K. Mishra, deemed CPIO, made submissions from Varanasi.
5. The appellant submitted that he has not been provided total amount to be deposited for getting the photocopies of the documents related to the amount spent on organising All India Agents Meet 2011-12.
6. The CPIO submitted that they had specifically mentioned that an amount of Rs. 15,314/ is to be deposited for getting the copies of the documents/ information. However, the total amount budgeted and actual expenditure on organising All India Agents Meet 2011-12 may be provided to the appellant along with the number of the Agents who attended the Meet held in 201112.
Decision Notice
6. The CPIO is directed to provide the total amount budgeted and actual expenditure incurred in organising All India Agents Meet 2011-12 and the number of the Agents who attended this Meet. The information as above is to be provided within 21 days of the receipt of the order of the Commission.
(Manjula Prasher)
Information Commissioner
Citation: Shri S. L. Thakur v. Life Insurance Corporation of India in Appeal: No. CIC/DS/A/2013/001371/MP