Press Trust of India: New Delhi: Friday, May 19, 2017.
The Centre
has rejected an RTI plea seeking details of security clearance given to the
GSTN, information-technology backbone of the Goods and Services Tax (GST),
citing national security.
In response
to a query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Home Ministry said
that the details sought on the GSTN were related to national security and
cannot be given. Aggrieved over the denial of information, an appeal was filed.
The response
given by the officer concerned is upheld and the appeal is disposed of, the
Home Ministry said in response to the RTI appeal filed by a PTI correspondent.
The Goods and
Services Tax Network (GSTN), a not-for- profit private limited company, has 51
per cent equity of five private institutions HDFC Bank Ltd (10 per cent), HDFC
Ltd (10 per cent), ICICI Bank Ltd (10 per cent), NSE Strategic Investment
Corporation Ltd (10 per cent) and LIC Housing Finance Limited (11 per cent).
The central
government has 24.5 per cent equity in GSTN, whereas state governments, two
Union territories and empowered committee of state finance ministers together
hold another 24.5 per cent stake in it.
An
organisation representing indirect tax employees has raised concerns over the
management pattern of the GSTN with majority stake in private hands.
It had said
since the GSTN is funded by the central and state governments, there is no
justification in entrusting its management to private individuals with heavy
salary and allowances.
BJP MP
Subramanian Swamy has also opposed the majority stake for private entities in
the GSTN and has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over it.
The Home
Ministry was asked to provide details of security clearance given to the GSTN
through the RTI application.
"It is
informed that you have sought information regarding security clearance which
relates to national security clearance.
"Any
information related to security purpose is exempted from disclosure as per
provisions of Section 8 (1) (g) of the RTI Act, 2005. Hence, the information
sought cannot be provided," the Ministry had said.
The Section
bars information disclosure which "would endanger the life or physical
safety of any person or identify the source of information or assistance given
in confidence for law enforcement or security purposes".
As per the
provisions of the transparency law, an information seeker can file the first
appeal with the authorities concerned in case he is dissatisfied with the reply
given by a Central Public Information Officer of a government department.
The second
appeal against the order of First Appellate Authority is filed with the Central
Information Commission (CIC).
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