CIC orders disclosure of Delhi government indictment by Lokayukta

Economic Times: New Delhi: Friday, 17 October 2014.

The Central Information Commission has directed the Delhi Government to make public details of indictment of the then Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit by Lokayukta Manmohan Sarin for printing their photographs on loan applications for Dilli Swarojgar Yojna.

The order says comments of President Pranab Mukherjee on the issue should also be provided to activist Subhash Agrawal who had sought the information.

The case related to publication of photographs of Dikshit on a government scheme loan forms on which Delhi Lokayukta Manmohan Sarin had indicted her government. The recommendation was rejected by then President Pratibha Patil.

Later Sarin asked President Pranab Mukherjee to issue an advisory to Dikshit and the then PWD Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan asking them to desist from putting their photographs on application forms offering loan at low rates to entrepreneurs from SC, ST, OBC and minority communities under 'Dilli Swarojgar Yojna'.

The President had referred the matter to Home Ministry for necessary action and issue of an advisory.

In a letter to Lokayukta last year, Home Ministry conveyed Mukherjee's directions and also said there was no need to put photographs of the Chief Minister and Minister-in-charge on loan applications.

The CIC has ordered disclosure of information on the action taken against Dikshit and Chauhan for overruling their officers for their photo-publicity and self-glorification through loan-application-forms.

Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu after hearing the submissions made by Delhi Government and Agrawal directed the public information office to "furnish information against point 5 and 8 to 12 of the RTI application".

"Copy of rules/procedures/norms etc about action to be taken by Delhi government on observations/strictures of President of India on a report of Delhi Lokayukt mentioning if observations/strictures of President of India are binding for Delhi government," said one of the points on which CIC ordered disclosure of information.