State Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Jalada Kumar Tripathy has directed the Bhubaneswar DCP to provide activist Pradip Pradhan RTI information relating the total number of personnel engaged for the protection of Chief Minister, who is a Z+ protectee.

Pradhan has filed an application on April 23, 2018 before the PIO, CMO seeking information regarding the number of police officers and others engaged in the CM’s residence for security purposes. The PIO on June 16, 2018 provided the information to him. Alleging furnishing of incorrect information, Pradhan filed a first appeal memo. The First Appellate Authority had upheld the decision of the PIO.

Thereafter, the PIO office of the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate police again transferred the application to the PIOs of the Bhubaneswar DCP and Special Security Battalion. The PIO office of the Bhubaneswar DCP intimated the appellant regarding non-availability of information on couple of points and declined to provide information citing the provision under Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act, 2005.

Being aggrieved, Pradhan filed a first appeal memo before the First Appellant authority. The Bhubaneswar DCP considered the submission of the PIO and disposed of the appeal with an observation that the information could not be provided under Section 8(1)(g) of the Act.

In response to such submission of the PIO, Pradhan filed a counter submission expressing his dissatisfaction over denial of information to him by the respondents.

While adjudging the case, the CIC considered that Section 8(1)(g) is not applicable to the facts of the case as the appellant had only asked the number of security personnel engaged in the CM’s duty.