PRESIDENTS SECRETARIAT Vs. SUBHASH CHANDRA AGARWAL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner has filed the present petition, inter alia, impugning an order dated 11.05.2016 (hereafter "the impugned order") passed by the Central Information Commissioner (hereafter "the CIC") allowing the respondent's second appeal under Section 19(3) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 (hereafter "the Act"). The controversy involved in the present petition relates to two queries raised by the respondent in his application dated 16.04.2014 filed under the Act. The said queries are reproduced below:-

(2.) The Public Information Officer ("PIO") of the petitioner declined to provide any information as to the aforesaid queries and responded that "the requested information cannot be shared as organizations under Section 24(1) of the RTI Act, 2005 are involved".

(3.) Aggrieved by the aforesaid response, the respondent preferred an appeal before the First Appellate Authority (hereafter "the FAA"), under Section 19 of the Act. The said appeal was also rejected by an order dated 006.2014, whereby the FAA held that "with regard to query nos.4 & 5, the appellant is informed that his contention regarding Section 24(1) of the RTI Act, 2005 cannot be applicable in this case and the reply of CPIO, President's Secretariat is found to be in order."