New Delhi: Recommendations of Parliamentary
committees cannot be kept out of citizens` reach
"indefinitely" even if they have not been tabled in the House,
the Central Information Commission has held.
Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra gave the
order while directing the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to disclose
the recommendations, on the implementation of the Right to
Information Act, of the Parliamentary Standing Committee which
have not been tabled in the House even after three years.
The case relates to an RTI application by Pune-based
activist Vihar Dhurve who sought to know from the Secretariat
the recommendations and findings of the Committee but the
information was denied to him.
The Secretariat said since the recommendations of the
Committee have not been placed before the Parliament, its
disclosure under the transparency law would be breach of
Parliamentary privileges.
During the hearing before CIC Venkatesh Nayak of
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, who was present from
Dhurve`s side, it was argued that if the authorities chose not
to place the Committee`s recommendations before the House even
after three years, the information could not be denied
indefinitely.
Agreeing with the view, Mishra said, "The Parliament of
India is the highest law-making body. It has to be a model in
implementing the laws it makes... Just because the competent
authority has not decided to place it before Parliament even
after lapse of about three years, it cannot indefinitely hold
it back from citizens."
Mishra further said in his orders, "It cannot be
anybody`s argument that just because authorities decide not to
act on the findings of the committee, it could be held back
from the citizens by invoking one or the other provisions of
the RTI Act for an indefinite period."
PTI
