The Times of India: New Delhi: Tuesday, June 12, 2012.
The Central Information Commission (CIC) has asked the Prime Minister's Office to disclose the names of institutional donors to the PM's relief fund by June 16 rejecting the argument that it was personal information. However, details of beneficiaries should not be made public as it could compromise its privacy.
The order came after RTI applicant Aseem Takyar sought details of the donors and beneficiaries to the PM's relief fund between 2009 and 2011. Issuing the order, Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra said, "In our view unless the donors has desired his donation to be kept confidential and secret, disclosure of the list of donors periodically may be a good idea. At least, the names of institutional donors should surely be published. We cannot say the same thing about the recipients and beneficiaries though.''
Reasoning that seeking relief from the PM's fund was a personal decision and the individual citizens seeking such assistance have a reputation to protect, Mishra said, "Making public the names and the amount for money they received from the fund has the potential to compromise their privacy."
Takyar had argued that in the interest of transparency these details should be made public. PMO officials argued that the relief fund did not receive any donation from the government and the details about the donors and recipients had always been maintained as personal and private information and not even disclosed to Parliament.
Referring to a CIC order, a PMO official said that the Commission had said that details of donors and beneficiaries should be treated as personal information. Overruling this the CIC has asked the PMO to make the list of institutional donors public within 10 working days.
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