PMO not in sync with Narendra Modi's words on RTI

DNA: New Delhi: Thursday, 31 December 2015.

The Prime Minister's Office does not seem to be in sync with the leader's thoughts. At least not when it comes to replying to RTI applications after taking into cognisance his words during the 10th RTI convention held in October.

Back then, PM Narendra Modi had said that the RTI replies should be "timely, transparent and trouble-free" for applicants and that there is no need for secrecy in this day and age. He had also stated that the government is moving into the digital medium which will eventually help people.

"It speaks very low of his office when they do not provide information that is two years old. Over and above, they have transferred the application to external affairs for one point which they already answered and said that information is exempted under the RTI when they have been suo motu declaring it earlier," said Commodore Lokesh Batra, a Delhi-based activist who had sought information that is ideally suo motu available.

Batra in his application has sought information about the expenses of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and prime minister Narendra Modi. He had sought information from September 2013 onward as that is the day from which there was no update on the travel expenses. All travel expense details were not present because the bill was "not received" or "under process".

The application sought laid down instructions, process/procedure involved in charting flights for PM's foreign visits and later filing of bills and clearing them on completion of visits. The other details sought were list of files with reference numbers on which bills for chartered flights are processed since September 2013, certified copies of the air travel bills paid for Bhutan visit and inspection of files to take any other certified copy required.

Singh had been to Russia, USA, Russia and China and Myanmar after that. The online details stated that bills are still under process. With respect to Modi, except for his Bhutan trip in June 15-16, 2014, which cost Rs2.45 crore, there is no information on 17 other trips till November.

"What surprises me is the information provided and RTI transferred. They transferred the RTI for which they informed me the procedure of raising and clearing the bill," said Batra. The other information was denied under the section which states that providing that information, the disclosure of 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".

"How does giving file numbers or bills endanger his life? They have given the amount already. Slowly, they are only denying information and killing the Act by being non-transparent," said Batra.