IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA, CHANDIGARH Civil Writ Petition No.11641 of 2010 Date of Decision: July 06, 2010 Jagrup Singh .....PETITIONER(S) VERSUS State Information Commission & Another .....RESPONDENT(S) . . . CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE AJAI LAMBA PRESENT: - Mr. H.C. Arora, Advocate, for the petitioner. . . . AJAI LAMBA, J (Oral) 1. Challenge in this petition filed under Article 226/227 of the Constitution of India is to Order dated 19.10.2009 (Annexure P-2) passed by the State Information Commission, Punjab. 2. Learned counsel for the petitioner states that since M/s Desh Bhagat College Trust (Regd.) Bardwal, Dhuri (for short, `Trust’) is running the college (Desh Bhagat College, Bardwal), therefore, the petitioner is entitled to information in relation to the Trust also. The following impugned order has been passed:- “ORDER M/s Desh Bhagat College Trust (Regd) Bardwal, Dhuri runs various social organizations including the college in question which is an aided college. According to the Right to Information Act, 2005, only an institution which receives aid from the Government is covered under the RTI Act and not a private trust/society. In this case the complainant has asked for the information about the Trust and not about the college which CWP No.11641 of 2010 [2] is an aided institute. Shri Dhami, Advocate stated that the resolution is passed by the Trust and not by the College and as such the same cannot be provided to the complainant. 2. In view of the above, the trust about which the information has been sought is not covered under the Right to Information Act, 2005. So resolution passed by the Trust cannot be provided to the complainant. 3. Case stands disposed of accordingly.” 3. I have considered the contention of learned counsel and contents of the impugned order. 4. It is not in dispute that the Trust runs social organizations, one of them is the college in question, namely Desh Bhagat College. The said college is an aided institution. 5. As per the contents of the impugned order, the college being an aided college, the petitioner has a right to seek information in that regard. 6. Trust, however would not be covered within the definition of `Public Authority’ as defined under Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. 7. It is not disputed that the Trust is a private body and is not owned, controlled or substantially financed by the Government. In such circumstances, I do not trace any illegality in the impugned order. 8. In view of the above, no ground for interference is made out. 9. The petition is dismissed. (AJAI LAMBA) July 06, 2010 JUDGE avin 1. To be referred to the Reporters or not? 2. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest?