NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR WPC No. 5223 of 2021 Amarchand Pahare, S/o Late Shri Ramavtar Pahare, Aged About 52 Years, Presently Working As - PIO And Deputy Director, Employment And Self Employment Guidance Centre, Koni, Bilaspur Tahsil And District - Bilaspur (C.G.) Permanent R/o Green Park Colony Jarhabhata, Bilaspur, Tehsil And District - Bilaspur Chhattisgarh ... Petitioner(s)

versus

1 - Chhattisgarh State Information Commission, Through - Secretary, Sector - 19, North Block, Nava Raipur, Atal Nagar, District - Raipur, Chhattisgarh

2 - First Appellate Authority And Deputy Director, Directorate, Employment And Training, Indrawati Bhawan, 4th Block, 1st Floor, Nava Raipur, Atal Nagar, District Raipur, Chhattisgarh

3 - Public Information Officer, Directorate, Employment And Training, Indrawati Bhawan, 4th Block, 1st Floor, Nava Raipur, Atal Nagar, District Raipur, Chhattisgarh, 4 - Shri Arun Patel, Mahamaya Chowk, Sarkanda, Bilaspur (C.G.), Tehsil And District - Bilaspur Chhattisgarh ... Respondent(s)

(Cause Title downloaded from CIS Periphery)

For Petitioner(s) : Ms. Meena Shastri, Advocate SHYNA AJAY For Respondent/State : Mr. Dilman Rati Minj, Dy. AG Digitally signed For Respondent No.1 Ms. Kusum Lalchandani, Advocate by SHYNA AJAY Date:

2026.04.21 SB: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad

Order on Board

06/04/2026

1. Being aggrieved by the order dated 23.7.2019 (Annexure P/1)

passed by the Chhattisgarh State Information Commission, Raipur (CG) in Second Appeal No.A/1413/2020/- Bilaspur, the Petitioner has filed the present petition.

2. By way of this petition, the Petitioner seeks the following reliefs :

10.1That, the Hon'ble Court kindly be pleased to quash/setting aside the impugned order dated 25/06/2021 passed by the learned Commissioner, Chhattisgarh State Information Commission, Raipur (C.G.) (Respondent No.-01) passed in Complaint Case No. C/1601/2017/Raipur (Annexure P/01) in the interest of justice.

10.2 That, the petitioner further prayed that this Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to remand the Complaint Case No.C/1601//2017/Raipur to the Respondent No.- 01 and issue a direction to provide reasonable opportunity to being heard to the petitioner and it may be decided on merits in the interest of justice.

10.3 Any appropriate writ, direction or order may also kindly be passed in favour of the petitioner, which this Hon'ble Court deems fit in the circumstances of the case.

3. Stated concisely, the facts of the case, as canvassed by the Petitioner, are that Respondent No.4 filed an application dated

17.7.2019 under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (henceforth “the RTI Act”) before the Public Information Officer (PIO) and Deputy Director, Employment and Self-Employment Guidance Centre, Koni, Bilaspur (CG) seeking certified copies of certain information on distinct subjects. The Petitioner, serving as PIO and Deputy Director, Employment and Self Employment Guidance Centre, Koni, responded vide letter dated 13.8.2019. The Petitioner informed Respondent No.4 that the application sought information on more than one subject, which is impermissible under Section 6(1) of the RTI Act. Consequently, the information could not be provided, thereby dismissing the original application filed by Respondent No.4. Aggrieved by the response, Respondent No.4 filed a First Appeal. The First Appellate Authority issued a notice on 27.9.2019, directing the Petitioner to appear on 5.10.2019. Subsequently, the First Appellate Authority passed the order dated 21.10.2019 directing the Petitioner to provide information relating to Point No.1 ‘free of cost’ and while advising the applicant to file separate applications for the remaining queries. Aggrieved by the said order, the Petitioner (PIO) preferred a Second Appeal before the Chhattisgarh State Information Commission (Respondent No.1). The learned Commissioner vide the impugned order dated 25.6.2021, without considering the explanation offered by the Petitioner or the official