Email IDs OF Journalists Cannot be Shared Under RTI: PIB

PIB Denies Sharing Email Ids of Journalists under RTI

Jammu, 03/May/2017:  Raising a legal debate, Press Information Bureau (PIB), the nodal agency of the Government of India to disseminate information to the print and electronic media on government policies and programmes has refused to share information under RTI act about email ids of Journalists available with it.

In response to an online RTI application of Raman Sharma a resident of Jammu , Nidhi Pandey, Central Public Information Officer and  Additional Director General of Press Information Bureau refused to share information wherein the applicant  had sought information about the email ids of accredited journalists. Citing email ids of journalists as  ‘Third Party information’, the senior officer of the PIB denied sharing information with the information seeker.  However the Press Information Bureau provided a general list depicting name, their organization and category of the 2333 journalists accredited with the Bureau.

The denial of sharing email ids of accredited journalists under RTI Act claiming it as ‘Third Party’ information instigates a legal debate because as per section 11 of the Right to Information Act 2005,  Third Party information is,  “  the information or record which relates to or has been supplied by a third and has been treated as confidential by that third party “. 

The applicant, Raman Sharma in his reaction to the denial of sharing email ids of accredited journalists by the CPIO  said he would seek legal opinion in this regard and if required,  a review appeal before the appellate authority shall be submitted within next few days. 

However Sharma refused to attach any motive or prejudice on part of  CPIO or the Press Information Bureau in denying information and said it is a question of law and the CPIO reserves the right to deny information which she believes is not giveable under the provisions of the RTI Law.

Published in The News Now, Kashmir Times