RTI plea on Metro approvals hits wall, CRS cites strategic interest.

Times of India: Hyderabad: Saturday, December 30, 2017.

The commissioner of Railway Safety has refused to provide information about the approvals given for Metro Railoperations in the city on the ground that it would "prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the state, relation with foreign state or lead to incitement of an offence."

In response to an RTI application filed by TOI, the CRS said the information sought cannot be given as it is exempt from disclosure as per section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act 2005. Incidentally, it was the CRS who decided that the information would come under the ambit of the section.

The Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) and L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Limited authorities worked against time to complete the works in time for the inauguration by the PM. On November 20, L&T MRHL managing director and CEO Shivanand Nimbargi had announced that the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) had issued authorisation for opening of Mettuguda to SR Nagar stations via Ameerpetinterchange stations. He has also said that this authorisation would enable L&T MRHL to operate trains from Nagole to Miyapur - a 30 km stretch, seamlessly. The authorisations for the Nagole to Mettuguda, and SR Nagar to Miyapur stretches were secured earlier.

When TOI sought information directly from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) Ram Kripal about the approvals, the request was not entertained. Under the RTI Act, a request was made for copies of applications of L&T MRHL for inspection for approval of Metro in Hyderabad, copies of all approvals given up to the time of filing the RTI request, and approval granted for Mettutuda-Nagole, Mettuguda to SR Nagar and SR Nagar to Miyapur.

The Commissioner of Railway Safety, South Central Railway, said the information asked by the applicant is exempt from disclosure as per Section (1)(a) of RTI Act, 2005 which reads: 1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, there shall be no obligation to give any citizen,—(a) information, disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence.