Delhi HC seeks Centres stand on plea concerning supply of information on Lokpal selection
New Delhi Apr 20 PTI The Delhi High court on Wednesday sought the Centres stand on a petition concerning the disclosure of information about the selection committee meetings held for the selection of the Chairperson and members of the LokpalJustice Yashwant Varma granted time to the central government counsel to seek instructions and listed the petition by activist Anjali Bhardwaj for further consideration in MayThe petitioner has challenged a January order passed on her RTI application by the Central Information Commission CIC which upheld the decision of the First Appellate Authority FAA denying the supply of the minutes of the meetings of the selection committee constituted under the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act 2013 for the selection of the Chairperson and members of the LokpalThe Central Public Information Officer CPIO of the Department of Personnel and Training DoPT had refused to provide a copy of the minutes on the ground that the authorship of such documents by high-level dignitaries did not vest in the DoPT and that the same had been shared as secret documentsThe petitioner represented by lawyer Prashant Bhushan has contended that withholding information related to the selection of the Lokpal chairperson and members is against the letter and spirit of the Lokpal Act and the RTI Act as the purpose of the ombudsman legislation is to enhance accountability in the functioning of public offices and to effectively contain and punish acts of corruptionThe petitioner has submitted that the access to information can be rejected only on the grounds mentioned in the RTI Act and there is no basis to deny the information sought merely because the authorship vests in high-level dignitaries and not in the public authority or because some document is shared as secretThe petition has further said that transparency in appointment to such oversight bodies is a crucial safeguard against arbitrariness and ensures their independent functioningThe impugned order negates the peoples fundamental right to information regarding the functioning of the State and all its instrumentalities as has been recognized as part of Article 19 I a of the Constitution of India Transparency is the most important value for the functioning of a healthy democracy the petition claimedIt added that the denial of information in the present case is in complete violation of the RTI Act and the principles of transparency in the selection process PTI ADS RKS RKS
New Delhi Apr 20 PTI The Delhi High court on Wednesday sought the Centres stand on a petition concerning the disclosure of information about the selection committee meetings held for the selection of the Chairperson and members of the LokpalJustice Yashwant Varma granted time to the central government counsel to seek instructions and listed the petition by activist Anjali Bhardwaj for further consideration in MayThe petitioner has challenged a January order passed on her RTI application by the Central Information Commission CIC which upheld the decision of the First Appellate Authority FAA denying the supply of the minutes of the meetings of the selection committee constituted under the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act 2013 for the selection of the Chairperson and members of the LokpalThe Central Public Information Officer CPIO of the Department of Personnel and Training DoPT had refused to provide a copy of the minutes on the ground that the authorship of such documents by high-level dignitaries did not vest in the DoPT and that the same had been shared as secret documentsThe petitioner represented by lawyer Prashant Bhushan has contended that withholding information related to the selection of the Lokpal chairperson and members is against the letter and spirit of the Lokpal Act and the RTI Act as the purpose of the ombudsman legislation is to enhance accountability in the functioning of public offices and to effectively contain and punish acts of corruptionThe petitioner has submitted that the access to information can be rejected only on the grounds mentioned in the RTI Act and there is no basis to deny the information sought merely because the authorship vests in high-level dignitaries and not in the public authority or because some document is shared as secretThe petition has further said that transparency in appointment to such oversight bodies is a crucial safeguard against arbitrariness and ensures their independent functioningThe impugned order negates the peoples fundamental right to information regarding the functioning of the State and all its instrumentalities as has been recognized as part of Article 19 I a of the Constitution of India Transparency is the most important value for the functioning of a healthy democracy the petition claimedIt added that the denial of information in the present case is in complete violation of the RTI Act and the principles of transparency in the selection process PTI ADS RKS RKS
