PRIME MINISTERS NATIONAL RELIEF FUND Vs. ASEEM TAKYAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Facts

(2.) The respondent in the appeal (hereafter "the petitioner") in 2011, applied to the CPIO, Prime Minister's Office ("CPIO") for information pertaining to the various transactions made PMNRF during the financial year 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 ("Information Period"). The CPIO, provided some of the information sought; the CPIO however invoked the exemption under Section 8(l)(j) of the RTI Act, as regards information related to amount, name and particular of each recipient, beneficiary and donor during the information period. Aggrieved the petitioner appealed under Section 19(1) of the Act to the Appellate Authority. The Authority directed the CPIO to send a fresh response to the petitioner, which was duly complied with; the petitioner, aggrieved, preferred a second appeal before the Chief Information Commissioner ("CIC") under Section 19(3). The CIC then passed a final order directing the CPIO to place the details of institutional donors of the PMNRF in public domain and to disclose the information to the petitioner. Aggrieved, the Fund preferred a writ petition (W.P.(C) No.3897/2012) before this Court.

(3.) The Learned Single Judge found the CIC's order to be balanced, and dismissed the appeal. However, while passing the impugned judgment dated 19.11.2015, the learned Single Judge refrained from giving a conclusive finding as to whether the appellant was a public authority. Aggrieved by the decision of the Learned Single Judge, the Appellant filed the present appeal.