Comp 24/SCIC/2013 on: 29/01/2014

GOA STATE INFORMATION COMMISISON

Ground Floor, Shrama Shakti Bhavan, Patto Plaza, Panaji-Goa

Coram : Smt. Leena Mehendale, State Chief Information Commissioner

Complaint No.24/SCIC/2013

Dated: 29/01/2014

Adv. Vaman Ganesh Kurtikar,

Advocate with Office at FF-32,

1^st floor, Ponda Commerce centre.

Tisk, Ponda-Goa.

V/s

The Director,

Public Information Officer,

Social Welfare Department,

Panaji-Goa.

O R D E R (Open Court)

RTI application dated: - 13/02/2013

PIO reply on: - 13/03/2013

First Appeal filed on: - Nil

FAA Order dated: - Nil

Complaint filed on: - 26/03/2013

The main ground of the complaint is that no information was given to the complainant till the expiry of 30 days i.e.13/03/2013. It is further stated that no information was furnished even up to filing of the complaint i.e. 26/03/2013.

Notices were issued fixing the hearing on 19/06/2013 but the complainant remains present only on the 2^nd date namely 26/08/2013 and not on any subsequent date.

The respondent has filed his say on 18/11/2013 stating that a reply to the original RTI application vide no.61-13-2007-BC (Part-I)/11446 was dispatched on 13/03/2013 by the then PIO asking the applicant to make a further payment of Rs. 26/- and collect the required information containing 14 pages. However the complainant has not come forward to collect the same information. The delay if at all in furnishing a reply is only of one day. Since the appeal was filed on 13 February i.e. in a month which has only 28 days, and the reply was dispatched on 13/03/2013 it was before the 3o^th day, thus there is really no delay in dispatching the requirement of fees.

On the date of final hearing the complainant was still absent. He had not exhausted the remedy of First Appeal. Even for his complaint, he was not pursuant after the present SCIC joined the post and started the hearing w.e.f. 24/10/2013.

Therefore it can be presumed that the information has lost its relevance to the complainant or that the complainant has lost interest.

In view of above the complaint is dismissed. However liberty is given that if the complainant approaches the respondent no.1 within 2 months of receiving this order and makes payment then PIO should supply information within 10 days next. This liberty is given to both because it is one year old information.

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The Complaint is dismissed with liberty as above. Declared in Open Court. Inform the Parties.

Sd/-

,

(Leena Mehendale)

Goa State Information Commission

Panaji-Goa.