RTI application seeking report of Committee constituted by the Government
6 Nov, 2012Background
The appellant filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act with the Department of Industrial Development seeking copy of ‘Man Committee’ constituted by the Government to examine the demands of workers of Swadeshi Cotton Mills and Sri Bharathi Mills. The Public Information Officer (PIO) informed the appellant that no such record was available in the Industries Secretariat. The First Appellate Authority (FAA) informed the appellant that under section 8(1)(i) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, there shall be no obligation to give any citizen, cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers: Provided that the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed; of the RTI Act, Cabinet Papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers are not to be made public until the Council of Ministers take decision on the matter and the matter is complete or over. The FAA added that the Council of Ministers have to take a final decision on the Report of the One Man Committee in view of which a copy of the report of the One Man Committee could not be supplied to the appellant till a final decision is taken by the Government of Puducherry on the Report.
View of CIC
The Central Information Commission (CIC) directed the PIO to provide a copy of the report of the One Man Committee to the appellant if the Cabinet has taken a decision on the aforementioned report of the One Man Committee.
Citation: Mr. K. Mohandas v. Department of Industrial Development Puducherry in Case No. CIC/SS/A/2011/001168
RTI Citation : RTIFI/2012/CIC/777
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