DELHI JAL BOARD: GOVT. OF N.C.T.

OF DELHI
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY: RTI CELL
VARUNALAYA PH-II, KAROL BAGH, NEW DELHI-05

No. DJB/RTI/Circulars /2009/10340-10362 Dated: 22.07.09

INSTRUCTIONAL ORDER

Sub:- Requirement of keeping the applicants/citizens informed

under the RTI Act, 2005 by Public Information Officer(s)

It has been noticed that some of the officers designated

as Public Information Officer under the Right to Information
Act, 2005 are returning the request of the applicant(s) to the
Nodal Officer (RTI) with remarks that the request does not
pertain to them or the requested information may be treated as
nil instead of furnishing the reply directly to the applicant.

2. In this context, kind attention is drawn towards the

column 6 of para no. 5 of CEO, DJB’s office order no. 6 dated
17.12.2008, whereby undersigned has been appointed only to
receive RTI requests from applicants in case they face difficulty
in identifying appropriate PIO or in approaching the
appropriate PIO in terms of DoPT’s O.M. No. 1/32/2007-IR
dated 14.11.07. As such, Nodal Officer (RTI) merely
acknowledges / receives the requests of applicants for other
Public Information Officer(s) at initial stage and forwards the
same to the concerned Public Information Officer(s) for taking
further necessary action under the provisions of the RTI Act,
2005. In the other words, role of the Nodal Officer (RTI) ends
as soon as the request of the applicants reaches to a PIO.
Thereafter it becomes the personal responsibility of a
designated PIO to deal with such request in accordance with
the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005. As per the
RTI Act, 2005 even in case where an application is received
/made to a PIO/Public Authority requesting for an information
which is held by another PIO/Public Authority; or the subject
matter of which is more closely connected with the functions
of another public authority, the PIO/ public authority, to
which such application is made/received, shall transfer the
application or such part of it as may be appropriate to that
other public authority/PIO(s) under section 6(3) of the RTI Act,
2005 and inform the applicant immediately about such
transfer preferable with the declaration that the requested
information is not available in his/her jurisdiction alongwith
detailed reasons as to why the matter does not pertain to his
office/DJB. Provided that the transfer of an application
pursuant to this sub-section shall be made as soon as
practicable but in no case later than five days from the date of
receipt of the application. However, there shall be no
requirement for transfer of request where it is evident from the
records that the request has already been sent to the
concerned PIO/ public authority. But a PIO must directly
inform to the applicant if the requested information does not
fall under his jurisdiction.

This may be noted for information and compliance.

Sd/-
(Dr. Bipin Behari)
Secretary, DJB and Nodal Officer (RTI)

All Public Information Officers, DJB

Copy to:-
1. Secretary to CEO, DJB
2. All Members/ FAA/ CVO/ Addl. CEO, DJB.
3. EDP-Incharge: with request to upload on DJB’s website
4. Consultant (PR): with request to publish the above
circular in Varun Patrika for information of all the
concerns.

Sd/-
Secretary, DJB and Nodal Officer (RTI)