Respondent: sample of “paper” approved by the store committee for getting the Help Books printed is part of the ‘official records’; only one copy of it is held having the signatures of the store committee members approving the sample - CIC: order upheld

Facts:

1. The appellant, Shri N. Saini, submitted RTI application dated 28 January 2013 before the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Life Insurance Corporation of India, Ajmer, seeking information regarding printing of Help Books for the year 2011-12 for which budget was allotted to that division vide N. Z. Office letter dated 12.3.2012, through a total of 7 points.

2. Vide reply dated 6 March 2013 & 1 April 2013, CPIO furnished information on point no. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 & 7 to the appellant and denied information on point no. 4 & 5 u/ss. 8(1)(d), (e) & (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Not satisfied with the CPIO’s reply, the appellant preferred appeal dated 9 April 2013 to the first appellate authority (FAA) alleging that information had not been provided on point nos. 4, 5 & 6 of the RTI application. Vide order dated 9 May 2013, FAA furnished additional information to the appellant and also upheld the CPIO’s decision on point no. 4 of the RTI application.

3. Not satisfied with the response of the public authority, the appellant preferred second appeal before the Commission alleging that information sought in point no. 4, 5 & 6 of the RTI application had not been supplied to him.

4. The matter was heard today via videoconferencing. The appellant, Shri N. Saini, was present at the hearing and made submissions from Bhopal. Shri Surya Bhan, CPIO and Shri R. P. Tang, AO, made submissions form Ajmer.

5. The appellant’s primary submission was that sample of the “paper” approved by the store committee for getting the Help Books printed had not been provided to him. The appellant also submitted that the CPIO, Jaipur Divisional Office I, had not supplied certified copy of the Help Book. Jaipur Divisional Office II had also not provided the quotation received for the tender, which according to point 13 of the ‘Store code’, is a ‘public document’ after the opening of the tender and may be disclosed under the RTI Act. The respondents submitted that a copy of the comparative chart and the copy of the Help Book had been given to the appellant.

6. The respondents also submitted that sample of the “paper” approved by the store committee for getting the Help Books printed is part of the ‘official records’ and hence, may not be given to the appellant. Only one copy of the sample paper is held with them having the signatures of the store committee members approving the sample. Certified copy of the same had already been provided to the appellant. The respondent added that the appellant is free to approach the CPIOs concerned to inspect the records. The appellant suggested the public authority to call for additional sample “papers” which would indeed help them to provide it under the RTI applications in future.

Decision Notice

7. The CPIO’s submissions are upheld that the sample of the “paper” approved by the store committee for getting the Help Book printed may not be provided to the appellant as the same are the part of the official records of the public authority. The appeal is dismissed.

(Manjula Prasher)

Information Commissioner

Citation: Shri N. Saini v. Life Insurance Corporation of India in Appeal: No. CIC/DS/A/2013/001067/MP