Hindustan
Times: New Delhi: Monday, 01 September 2014.
The Central
Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Centre to disclose confidential
file notings related to the constitution of the Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee
which probed alleged lobbying by Walmart in India. CIC also directed the
government to make public the committee's report along with the steps taken by
the Centre to prevent possible lobbying in the country by foreign companies.
The
one-member committee of former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana high court Mudgal
was constituted by the UPA government to investigate alleged corruption charges
against retail giant Walmart in India.
The Committee
had to probe if Walmart undertook activities in India in contravention of any
Indian law and any other matter relevant or incidental to the case.
The case came
before the CIC on a plea by activist Subhash Agrawal, who had sought the
information from the Corporate Affairs Ministry, which had refused to provide
it.
"Information
needs to be provided under Section 8(2) of RTI Act which mentions providing of
information if public interest overweighs the harm protected.
"There
is definitely public interest involved in the whole matter where media reports
indicate attempt at lobbying by private foreign companies with even those in
PMO," Agrawal said in his appeal.
Agreeing with
Agrawal, Information Commissioner Yashowardhan Azad directed the ministry to
provide the information, along with the file notings, related to the
constitution of the committee.
He also
directed it to provide report of the committee along with the file notings.
The
Commissioner directed the ministry to forward the RTI application to the
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion for its response as regards the
details of the steps taken to prevent any lobbying in India by foreign
companies.