के (cid:574)ीय सूचना आयोग Central Information Commission बाबा गंगनाथ माग१,मुिनरका

Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka नई िद(cid:671)ी, New Delhi – 110067 ि(cid:554)तीय अपील संূा / Second Appeal No. CIC/CAGIN/A/2024/611800 Ashish Rai … अपीलकता१/Appellant VERSUS बनाम CPIO: Comptroller & Auditor G eneral, Gwalior …ঋितवादीगण/Respondents Relevant dates emerging from the appeal:

Hon’ble Commissioner _ANANDI RAMALINGAM O R D E R

1. The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 02.12.2023 seeking information on the following points:

 According to page 55 of the attached CAG report, application under the Right to Information Act-2005 to obtain information regarding the investigation report etc. of the concerned university. CAG Report of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India on General and Social Sectors (Non-PSU) for the year ended 31 March

2015, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Report No.1 of year 2016

1. Provide certified copies of all letters/correspondence sent from your office to MPPURC for the concerned 6 universities, 2. Provide certified copy of the reply sent by MPPURC along with the attached documents to your office for the 6 universities concerned on the above mentioned letter/correspondence.

3. Provide certified copies of land records, investigation reports etc. along with documents sent by MPPURC to your office for the concerned 6 universities.

4. Provide certified copies of the collector report and all land records and documents received by your office for the concerned 6 universities.

2. The CPIO replied vide letter dated 17.01.2024 and the same is reproduced as under :-

“वांिछत जानकारी/अिभलेख सूचना का अिधकार अिधिनयम, 2005 की धारा 8(1)(e)के

तहत ঋदान नही ंकी जा सकती है।”

3. Dissatisfied with the response received from the CPIO, the Appellant filed a First Appeal dated 31.01.2024 alleging that the information provided was incomplete, false and misleading. The FAA vide order dated 11.03.2024 stated as under: -

Point No. 1 & 2: के(cid:574)ीय लोक सूचना अिधकारी (cid:554)ारा ঋदान की गई जानकारी से सहमत ॾँ चूँिक लेखापरी঴क एवं लेखापौरि঴ती इकाई के म(cid:559) आदान ঋदान की गयी जानकारी

गोपनीय होती है एवं वै(cid:695)ािसक हैिसयत से लेखापरी঴क के पास उपल(cid:617) रहती है।

Point No. 3 & 4: वांिछत जानकारी/अिभलेख लेखा परीि঴त इकाई से स(cid:638)ंिधत होने के कारण इस काया१लय (cid:554)ारा ঋदान नही ंकी जा सकती है, अतः वांिछत जानकारी/अिभलेख स(cid:638)ंिधत िवभाग/इकाई से ঋा(cid:593) की जा सकती ह॰।

4. Aggrieved with the FAA’s order, the Appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal dated 16.03.2024.

5. The appellant and on behalf of the respondent Mahesh, CPIO, attended the hearing through video conference.

6. The appellant inter alia submitted that the respondent had illegally denied the information since the records such as CAG report, collector and presented land records pertained to government activities. Therefore, keeping in view the public interest and principles of transparency, the said information was required to be disclosed.

7. The respondent while defending their case inter alia submitted that the documents sought by the appellant were submitted to the auditor in the capacity of being an audited entity. Therefore, documents were held by the respondent authority in fiduciary capacity. The CPIO further clarified that the final audit report prepared in relation to the 6 Universities is already published in the public domain. However, the documents such as notices, land records, etc. based on which audit was conducted by CAG, were concerning the subject-matter between auditor and audited entity sharing a fiduciary relationship. Therefore, the information is exempted under the provisions of Section 8 (1) (e) of the RTI Act.

8. The Commission after adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case, hearing both parties and perusal of records, observes that the CPIO has given an approp