Press Trust of India: New Delhi: Wednesday,
April 12, 2017.
The
government has refused to share details of appointment of CBI Director Alok
Kumar Verma, claiming the information was exempted under the Right to
Information (RTI) Act.
Replying to
an RTI query, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said the
appointment was done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Appointments Committee
of Cabinet (ACC). Hence, information related to it is exempted under the
transparency law.
Verma, the
former Delhi Police Commissioner, was on January 19, named as the chief of
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
"It is
stated that the information sought is exempted under Rule 8(1) of the RTI Act,
2005 as the selection of Director, CBI was done through the ACC," the DoPT
said in reply to the RTI application filed by PTI.
The DoPT in
its reply has, however, not referred to relevant provisions like
confidentiality or breach of privilege, under which the information was
declined.
The rule or
Section 8 has provisions to decline information, including cabinet papers,
sought under the RTI Act.
However, 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, the rule 8 (i) of the RTI
Act says.
The DoPT was
asked to provide names of all officers who were shortlisted for appointment as
CBI Director and also the copy of file notings.
The name of
Verma, a 1979-batch IPS officer of Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union
Territories (AGMUT) cadre, was cleared by a three-member selection panel headed
by the Prime Minister and comprising Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh
Khehar and Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge as members.
Kharge is
understood to have recorded his dissent note on Verma's name, during the
meeting of the selection committee held on January 16 on the ground that the
officer had never served in the CBI.