Respondent: village Rambiharipur of Bihar is not covered under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana - Appellant alleged that the reply was incorrect - CIC: PIO to again check the records and furnish factual information to the Appellant

Information regarding implementation of Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana in Bihar state - Considering the Appellant’s allegation that the reply given by the Respondents (that the village Rambiharipur of Bihar state is not covered under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana) is “incorrect”, the Commission hereby directs the CPIO, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited to once again check the records held by the public authority in relation to the information in question and furnish factual information to the Appellant

ORDER

The present appeal, filed by Shri Rabindra Kumar against Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, was taken up for hearing on 29.01.2014 when the Respondents were present through Shri Vindo Behari, ED (HR), Shri S.L Batta, GM and Shri S.K. Chopra. The Appellant was present in person.

2. The Appellant through an RTI application dated 02.02.2013 - filed with the CPIO, Ministry of Power, New Delhi - sought information against 5 points regarding implementation of ‘Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana’ (RGGVY) in Bihar state.

3. The CPIO, Ministry of Power vide his letter dated 07.02.2013 transferred this application to the CPIO & Under Secretary (RE), Ministry of Power under section 6(3) of the RTI Act.

4. The CPIO & Under Secretary (RE), Ministry of Power vide his letter dated 11.02.2013 furnished the pointwise reply/information to the Appellant corresponding to point Nos. 1, 3 & 4 of his RTI application. As for point Nos. 2 & 5, he further transferred the RTI application to the CPIO, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited for response.

5. The CPIO, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited accordingly vide his letter dated 22.02.2013 furnished the information/reply to the Appellant in respect of point Nos. 2 & 5 of the RTI application. 6. The Appellant, however, being dissatisfied with the information/reply given to him by the CPIO, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, filed an appeal dated 08.03.2013 before the First Appellate Authority, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited.

7. The Appellate Authority decided this appeal vide his order dated 3.04.2013 holding that required information (in respect of point Nos. 2 & 5) has been provided to the Appellant by the CPIO, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited. This order was communicated to the Appellant by the Manager (F&A)/RTI vide letter dated 08/10.04.2013.

8. The Appellant then filed the present appeal before the Commission challenging the order of the Appellate Authority, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited.

9. During the hearing the Appellant, while acknowledging receipt of information in respect of point No.2 of his RTI application, contests the Respondents’ reply in respect of point No. 5 of his RTI application and calls it “incorrect”. In point No. 5 the Appellant had sought to know the status of electrification in respect of the households other than BPL in Rambiharipur village of Bihar state. The Respondents had informed the Appellant that said village is not covered for electrification under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana, while also advising him to contact Chief Engineer (RE), Bihar State Electricity Board, Vidyut Bhawan, Beiley Road, Patna for release of electricity connection in village Rambiharipur. The Respondents, present during the hearing, maintains that the village Rambiharipur is not covered under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana. According to them, the implementing agency for such electrification schemes in the said area is the Chief Engineer (RE), Bihar State Electricity Board who would be in a better position to give the information in question to the Appellant.

10. Considering the Appellant’s allegation that the reply given by the Respondents (that the village Rambiharipur of Bihar state is not covered under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana) is “incorrect”, the Commission hereby directs the CPIO, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited to once again check the records held by the public authority in relation to the information in question and furnish factual information to the Appellant within 10 days of receipt of this order. In the event, the information is found to be unavailable, the CPIO, within 5 days of receipt of this order, should transfer this point of the RTI application to the SPIO, Office of the Chief Engineer (RE), Bihar State Electricity Board, Vidyut Bhawan, Beiley Road, Patna for him to furnish the information/reply to the Appellant within 15 days of receipt of the RTI application.

11. Appeal is disposed of with the above directions.

(Sushma Singh)

Chief Information Commissioner

Citation: Shri Rabindra Kumar v. Rural Electrification Corporation Limited in Case No. CIC/LS/A/2013/001713SS