Daily Pioneer: Bhopal: Tuesday, September 11,
2018.
Citing a provision of RTI Act that bars
disclosure of third party information, the Prime Minister Office (PMO) has declined
to share action taken on a letter written by Congress leader of Opposition in
the State Assembly Ajay Singh to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging large
scale corruption through e-tendering in Madhya Pradesh.
The Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh
had in July written the letter to PM Modi asking him to conduct an enquiry into
the e-tendering scam of Madhya Pradesh either by the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) or under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
Anti-corruption activist and a Congress member Ajay Dubey had sought details of
action taken report by the PMO on the Congress party leader's letter.
"It is stated that the information
sought by you attracts the provisions of Section 11 of the RTI Act," it
said in reply to the RTI query filed by the activist.
The PMO said that the response will be
provided after due process as envisaged in the Section 11 of the Act is
completed, it said.
The Section 11 mandates that if a Central
Public Information Officer of a department concerned intends to disclose the
information, to invite the third party to make a submission in writing or
orally, regarding whether the information should be disclosed, and such
submission of the third party shall be kept in view while taking a decision
about disclosure of information.
The Congress leader had claimed that
e-tendering scam is bigger than the 'Vyapam', referring to massive
irregularities in state government jobs recruitment and selection in medical
courses done by Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board or 'Vyapam' in
Hindi.