Information about the Comprehensive Online Real Time Environment project with details regarding the amount spent, quotations received, officers trained & the problems faced was sought - CIC: provide a copy of comparative chart & expenditure incurred
8 Jul, 2014Facts
1. The appellant, Shri Shyam Manohar Harit, submitted RTI application dated 11 January 2013 before the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), United India Insurance Co. Ltd., Chennai; seeking information regarding agreement made by the respondent Company for its new programme, Comprehensive Online Real Time Environment with another company etc., through a total of 6 points. 2. Vide reply dated 4 March 2013, CPIO furnished information sought in point nos. 3, 4, 5 & 6 and denied information to the appellant sought in point nos. 1 & 2 u/s 8(1) (d) & (e) of the RTI Act, 2005. Not satisfied with the CPIO’s reply, the appellant preferred appeal dated 12 March 2013 to the first appellate authority (FAA). Vide order dated 7 May 2012, FAA upheld CPIO’s decision.
3. Not satisfied with the above response of the public authority, the appellant preferred second appeal before the Commission.
4. The matter was heard today via videoconferencing. The appellant did not attend the hearing. The respondent, UIIC, was represented by Shri Rangarajan, Chief Manager & CPIO and Shri Suresh, Deputy Manager (IT) from Chennai.
5. The appellant had asked for information about the Comprehensive Online Real Time Environment project with details regarding the amount spent, the quotations received, the officers trained and the problems that are coming in the way of implementation of the programme.
6. The CPIO had provided information sought for by the appellant. The appellant, however, had submitted that he has not been informed of the amount spent on the project, the amount spent on training and whether anybody had been given commission, etc.
7. During the hearing, the respondents submitted that they cannot provide the copy of the agreement as it is an internal document. They also added that this is a seven year programme which began in October 2007 and is still in the process of being implemented. Therefore, the total amount of expenditure to be incurred cannot be provided. The CPIO also added that the consolidated expenditure on the officers/officials for training purposes is not available as the payments are made by the various circles at their own end. The respondents offered to provide the comparative chart with reference to the quotations received and the expenditure incurred on the project till March 2014.
Decision Notice
8. The CPIO will provide a copy of the comparative chart and the expenditure incurred on the project till March 2014 to the appellant within two weeks from the date of the receipt of the order of the Commission.
(Manjula Prasher)
Information Commissioner
Citation: Shri Shyam Manohar Harit v. United India Insurance Co. Ltd. in Appeal: No. CIC/DS/A/2013/000915/MP