Disclosure of license fee paid to BIS may harm the competitive position
20 Jan, 2012Background
Information pertaining to BIS licenses issued along with marking fees paid for each BIS license for a particular class of product [Plant Protection equipments –Sprayers] in the organized sector was denied by the PIO under sections 8(1)(d), 8(1)(e) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, there shall be no obligation to give any citizen, information available to a person in his fiduciary relationship, unless the competent authority is satisfied that the larger public interest warrants the disclosure of such information; of the RTI Act and Section 30 of BIS Act, 1986. On appeal, the FAA held that the requested details on quantity of production and fees paid for a period of three years pertain to a single manufacturer as there was only one manufacturer in the region. Disclosure of such information might be harmful to the competitive position of the third party.
View of the CIC
The Commission directed to provide the all India figure of collection of license fees for the past three years for Plant Protection equipments (Sprayers) in the organized sector and not about one manufacturer. The appellant had submitted non-judicial stamp papers amounting to Rs. 100/- towards the fees for filing second appeal which were returned to the appellant, as there is no prescribed fee under the RTI Act, for filing complaint/appeal before the Commission.
Citation: Shri Purshottam Thakur v. Bureau of Indian Standards in file no. CIC/SS/A/2011/001438
RTI Citation : RTIFI/2012/CIC/28
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