Should the copies of applications filed under RTI Act be provided to an applicant?
15 Jan, 2013Background
The appellant filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act with the South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) seeking to know as to how many applications have been received under RTI Rules from the inception of RTI Act. He also wanted the photocopies of all the applications. The Public Information Officer (PIO) informed the appellant that 11,417 applications have been received from RTI applicants since the inception of the RTI Act but denied the photocopies of the RTI applications under section 8(1)(j) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, there shall be no obligation to give any citizen, information which relates to personal information the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or interest, or which would cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy of the individual unless the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer or the appellate authority, as the case may be, is satisfied that the larger public interest justifies the disclosure of such information: Provided that the information which cannot be denied to the Parliament or a State Legislature shall not be denied to any person. of the RTI Act.
View of CIC
The Central Information Commission (CIC) concurred with the decision of the PIO and rejected the appeal.
Citation: Mr. Kamal Patidar v South Eastern Coalfields Ltd in Case No. CIC/SS/A/2012/002547
RTI Citation : RTIFI/2013/CIC/962
Click here to view original RTI order of Court / Information Commission