Live Law: New Delhi: Tuesday, July 04, 2017.
The Central
Information Commission recently directed the Government to disclose numeric
details of pending as well as disclosed Departmental/ Vigilance/ Court cases against
the employees of various departments.
“Disclosure
of such data shall serve as a tool in better governance and thus undoubtedly
serves larger public interest,” Information Commissioner Yashovardhan Azad
opined. He, however, clarified that only the rank/post held by the
charge-sheeted employee be disclosed, and not his/her name.
The
Appellant, Mr. Ashok Kumar Reddy, had sought the information to catalogue a directory
of ‘corrupt of×cers’, and had, therefore, ×led 51 RTI applications aimed at gathering
information of all tainted employees.
Ruling in Mr.
Reddy’s favour, IC Azad observed that the dynamic numeric data relating to
departmental and vigilance proceedings falls within the purview of Section 4(1)
of the RTI Act, 2005, and thus, “the same must be put in public domain,
proactively”.
“Accordingly,
the Commission in exercise of powers conferred under subclauses (iii) & (iv)
of Section 19(8)(a) directs all Ministries of the Union of India and
departments & instrumentalities subordinates thereto; to publish the
numerical details of ongoing departmental, vigilance and well as police
prosecution cases,” the CIC ruled.
Thereafter,
directing that the order be complied with within a period of three months, the
Commission directed the Registry to send the order to the Secretary, Department
of Personnel and Training, for circulating the same to all Ministries/
Departments and Corporations falling under the aegis of Union Government.