Destruction of records during the pendency of RTI application

NEW DELHI .  An application was filed under the RTI Act seeking information regarding appointment of Associate Professor. The Public Information Officer (PIO) replied that no such information was available. The CIC did not accept the claim of the respondents that the record is weeded out without showing their Weeding out Policy, especially when an RTI application is pending in respect of that record. The CIC observed that if the record is weeded out during the pendency of the RTI application, they will be held responsible. Referring to the Public Records Act, 1993, the CIC asked the PIO to submit a certified copy of the record retention schedule followed by the public authority and the file noting with respect to the appellants file which had been weeded out, along with the date of destruction.