IT News
Imphal, May 11:
The Central Information Commission has directed the Deputy Secretary& CPIO, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India to collectinformation from 4 NGOs of Manipur in connection with Scheme of Assistance for Construction of Hostel Building for Working Women with Day Care Centre for Children.
Information Commissioner Vanaja N Sarna directed the Ministry of Women & Child Development to collect desired information from 4 NGOs of Manipur namely 1. Loyalam Foundations, Yairipok2.Environment and Economic Management Association ,Haobam Leirak ChingthamLeikai, 3. Rural Development Women Organisation, Thoubal Wangbal and 4. Women Agency for Development Activities, Bishnupur Ward No. 4 and whatever information supplied by them should be given to RTI Activist Khumanthem Dhanachandra Singh.
Khumanthem Dhanachadra Singh of Naoremthong LaishramLeirak filed an RTI application on 24thSeptember, 2018 to the Ministry of Women & Child Developmentto provide all documentsin connection with the Construction of Hostel Building for Working Women with Day Care Centre for Childrenby the above mentioned 4 NGOs of Manipur.
As both the CPIO &FAA refused to provide the information stating that the information sought is a third party information andall the 4 NGOs have objected to the disclosure of the their documents, the activist filed 2nd appeal on 18th March, 2019 before the Central Information Commission, New Delhi as a last resort. Recently, the CIClisted the appeal for hearing on 5th May, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
During the hearing, the CIC noted that the reply of the CPIO is incomplete as no exemption under the RTI Act was claimed by the CPIO. Further, the documents sought by the appellant pertain to different organisations for construction of Hostel building for working women with day care facilities. Such information can in no way be termed to be personal information of any third party. It is pertinent to mention here that since all the organisations listed by the appellant in his RTI application are NGOs, they are not covered u/s 2(h) of the RTI Act. However, it may be noted by the CPIO that as per Section 2(f) of the RTI Act the definition of the term ‘information’ includes such information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any prevalent law in force; it follows then that if information on the said paras is available with the Respondent office or can be accessed from them, it should be parted with.
The CIC further enquired from the CPIO as to whether the above listed NGOs give or provide any data to the Ministry or they can access the information sought by the appellant, to which he submitted that they do submit some data to them. He also submitted that he will abide by the order of the Commission. The CIC , therefore directed the CPIO to collect the desired information from these NGOs and whatever information is supplied by them, the same should be given to the appellant.
Furthermore, the CPIO is directed to provide a revised reply to the appellant as per the discussions held during the hearing within a period of 30 days from the date of issue of this order under intimation to the Commission.
