Rajya Sabha to Provide Ministers' Asset Details Under RTI

New Delhi | Apr 21, 2009 PTI
The Rajya Sabha has agreed to provide asset details of the union ministers, who are members of the house, to an RTI applicant.

The Rajya Sabha secretariat while replying to an RTI query from activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal, said details about assets and liabilities of 16 out of 18 union ministers belonging to Rajya Sabha were available with it. It also asked Agrawal to deposit requisite fee for the papers.

Agrawal wanted information on assets, wealth and income of all the ministers in the UPA government and their spouse. But the matter kept scuttling between the PMO and Cabinet Secretariat as who holds the requisite information.

In December last year, the PMO informed Agrawal that details could not be given as the information was exempted from disclosure.

During the hearing of the plea, CIC referred the matter to the speakers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha saying "such information is not disclosable except with the permission of the Speaker."

After the decision, Agrawal filed fresh RTI applications to both the houses in the same matter.

"You had sought information regarding assets and wealth of ministers in the Union Council of Ministers including their spouse and dependent children. The...Information is now available," the Secretariat responded.

Earlier the CIC while referring the matter to the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha held, "the matter will be referred to Somnath Chatterjee, Speaker of the Lok Sabha for disclosure of such information as relates to those Members of the Council of Ministers who are Members of the Lok Sabha."

Regarding the ministers belonging to Rajya Sabha, the Central Information Commission (CIC) said if there is a similar rule for the House, the same could also be exercised or else the matter be referred to the third parties (ministers in this case) to seek nod for disclosing the assets.

"If there is any equivalent rule with regard to the Rajya Sabha, this may also be exercised, although, we were not told of existence of any such rules during the hearing," it said.

The Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah based its decision on a Supreme Court Judgement which said, "The right to know about the candidate who intends to become a public figure and a representative of the people would not be effective and real if only truncated information of the assets and liabilities is given."