New Delhi: No government department seems to
have any information about the tours and travels undertaken by
the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi as an RTI application kept
moving to different ministries without any substantial
response.
The case relates to an RTI application filed by one
Kailash Kanwar of Bhilwara in Rajasthan who sought to know
about the foreign visits undertaken by the UPA and National
Advisory Council Chairperson during the last two years.
He had also sought information about recent visit of
Gandhi for her reported treatment in the United States of
America through the application under the transparency law.
The application sent to External Affairs Ministry was
transferred to Parliamentary Affairs Ministry and Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation under the provisions
of RTI Act.
While transferring, the ministry said, "The ministry of
Parliamentary Affairs is the concerned department for
providing information on foreign visits undertaken by Smt
Sonia Gandhi as Member of Parliament.
"Regarding foreign visits undertaken by Smt Sonia Gandhi
as Chairperson of National Advisory Council, the Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation is the concerned
Ministry. Therefore Point 3 and 4 of the RTI application
(related with the visits) is transferred to them under section
6(3)(ii) of the RTI Act for necessary action."
Ministry of Statistics forwarded the application to
National Advisory Council with remarks that it is "not
involved in any matter related to tour or trips taken by the
members of the NAC or by Smt Sonia Gandhi as UPA Chairperson
at any point of time."
The NAC said it has "no information on the said
matter" and forwarded it to Prime Minister's Office "since the
PMO is the custodian of information relating to all the
expenditure incurred in the functioning of the NAC."
The Prime Minister's Office in its reply dated October
20 said, "No information is held with the records held by the
office."
The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to which MEA has
transferred the application has said as per its records it has
"zero information" about the foreign tours undertaken by Sonia
Gandhi.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, November 08, 2011, 20:55