Times of India: Chandigarh: Friday, 28 February 2025.
Rejecting a plea against the denial of information under the RTI Act pertaining to a dairy being run at Army's horse-breeding stud farm in Hisar, the Punjab and Haryana high court has observed that petitioners seeking information, especially the number of eggs produced in a month and the count of cows, goats, and chickens, would not serve any useful purpose.
Justice Harsimran Singh
Sethi passed these orders while dismissing a petition filed by Vinod Kumar of
Hisar. "Nothing has come on record as to why the petitioner is interested
in seeking such information, especially how many eggs were produced in one
month and how many cows, goats, and chickens are kept there. This shows that
information is not being sought for any useful purpose, but only for other
reasons best known to the petitioner," observed the court.
The petitioner approached the court after his application seeking information under the RTI Act regarding the grant of approval for running a dairy in the stud farm maintained by the Indian Army in Hisar. His plea was rejected by the SPIO, the appellate authority, as well as the central information commission.
Contesting the petition, central govt submitted that the stud farm was established and was being run by the Army, and details of the same could not be given. Nothing has come on record as to why the petitioner is concerned with the grant of approval for running the dairy in the unit.
After hearing all parties, the court observed that the petitioner has, prima facie, shown no aspect as to how he is concerned with the information sought. "Though the intention to seek information is not necessary, when the same concerns the Indian Army, it can be sought by the court to eradicate the situation as to whether the same should be allowed or not. The Army has established a stud farm in Hisar where, according to the petitioner, a dairy is also being run. It should be noted that the animals kept in the stud farm are for purposes which the Army deems fit and not for the general public, and any information disclosed herein can lead to the compromise of any kind of vital information," observed the judge while dismissing the plea.
On the specific request of the petitioner for information only regarding the approval of the ministry of defence (MoD) to run the dairy in the Hisar unit, the court observed that once the land was in the occupation of the Indian Army and the same was being used for a particular purpose by it, whether any approval of the MoD to run a dairy on the said land was given or not was of no concern to the petitioner.
Rejecting a plea against the denial of information under the RTI Act pertaining to a dairy being run at Army's horse-breeding stud farm in Hisar, the Punjab and Haryana high court has observed that petitioners seeking information, especially the number of eggs produced in a month and the count of cows, goats, and chickens, would not serve any useful purpose.
The petitioner approached the court after his application seeking information under the RTI Act regarding the grant of approval for running a dairy in the stud farm maintained by the Indian Army in Hisar. His plea was rejected by the SPIO, the appellate authority, as well as the central information commission.
Contesting the petition, central govt submitted that the stud farm was established and was being run by the Army, and details of the same could not be given. Nothing has come on record as to why the petitioner is concerned with the grant of approval for running the dairy in the unit.
After hearing all parties, the court observed that the petitioner has, prima facie, shown no aspect as to how he is concerned with the information sought. "Though the intention to seek information is not necessary, when the same concerns the Indian Army, it can be sought by the court to eradicate the situation as to whether the same should be allowed or not. The Army has established a stud farm in Hisar where, according to the petitioner, a dairy is also being run. It should be noted that the animals kept in the stud farm are for purposes which the Army deems fit and not for the general public, and any information disclosed herein can lead to the compromise of any kind of vital information," observed the judge while dismissing the plea.
On the specific request of the petitioner for information only regarding the approval of the ministry of defence (MoD) to run the dairy in the Hisar unit, the court observed that once the land was in the occupation of the Indian Army and the same was being used for a particular purpose by it, whether any approval of the MoD to run a dairy on the said land was given or not was of no concern to the petitioner.
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