RAMBHAI JETHURBHAI BHAMMAR Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Rule returnable forthwith. Respective learned Assistant Government Pleaders waive service of notice of Rule for and on behalf of the respondents. With consent of the learned advocates for the respective parties, all these petitions are taken up for final hearing today.

(2.) In SCA No.23663 of 2022, briefly stated, the applicant by his application under the RTI Act has asked for certain information for Hadana Forest Range on 12 issues. These 12 issues pertain for the years from 2008 to 2021. The petitioner has asked for bills, vouchers, work orders and the total amounts sanctioned for the work undertaken in the range. He has further asked for information as to whether tenders were invited and if so the details of the tenders, the names of the individuals and the conditions of the tenders. He has further asked for information regarding the statistics of the death of leopards and lions and details of the panchnama of each death, the name of the employees who remained absent together with the register of death.

(3.) In Special Civil Application No.23665 of 2022, a similar application has been made for Dalkhaniya forest range which includes details asked for the extent and the number of illegal lion shows, the details of permanent or temporary daily wagers, contractors, their names, their details of address where walkie-talkie, motor cycle were given to them and the details of such facilities, the details of bills, work orders and the amounts which may have been paid to the authorities of such range. When such information was not supplied to the petitioner, the petitioner approached the appellate authority and the appellate authority as recorded in the order passed by this Court on 15/12/2022 opined that looking to the information asked for, such information cannot be provided without physical verification and the presence of the petitioner is required.