Respondent: No reply could be furnished since the RTI application was not received in the respondent office - CIC: Respondent to file an affidavit deposing that neither the RTI application nor the first appeal of the complainant was received in the office
2 Aug, 2017O R D E R
1. The complainant filed an application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) before the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Committee of Parliament on Official Language seeking information on ten points pertaining to his letter dated 04.08.2013, including, inter-alia, a certified copy of (i) the compliance of Section 4 of the RTI Act and (ii) the comments received on his letter dated 04.08.2013.
2. The complainant filed a complaint before the Commission on the grounds that the information sought has not been provided to him.
Hearing:
3. The complainant was not present despite notice. The respondent Shri Mukesh Kumar Sharma, Research Assistant, Department of Official Language was present in person.
4. The respondent submitted that neither the RTI application dated 14.08.2013 nor the first appeal dated 18.09.2013 of the complainant was received in the respondent office. Hence, no reply in response to the same could be provided to the complainant.
Decision:
5. The Commission, after hearing the submissions of the respondent and perusing the records, observes that as per the respondent no reply in response to the RTI application could be furnished since the RTI application was not received in the respondent office. The Commission, therefore, directs the respondent to file an affidavit with the Commission deposing that neither the RTI application dated 14.08.2013 nor the first appeal dated 18.09.2013 of the complainant was received in the respondent office. Hence, no information can be provided to the complainant. A copy of the affidavit shall also be provided to the complainant. The above directions of the Commission shall be complied with, within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.
6. With the above observations, the complaint is disposed of.
7. Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.
(Sudhir Bhargava)
Information Commissioner
Citation: Shri Maniram v. Committee of Parliament on Official Languages Decision No. CIC/VS/C/2014/900051/SB Dated 07.07.2017