Business Standard: New Delhi: Friday, 3rd July
2026.
The CIC has advised NHAI to proactively disclose highway contracts, safety plans and project documents, saying greater transparency will improve public accountability
Underlining that the
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is not placing contract
agreement-related information in the public domain, the CIC has advised the
authority to proactively disclose highway contracts, safety plans and other key
project documents to promote transparency and accountability.
Issuing an advisory under Section 25(5) of the RTI Act, Information Commissioner Jaya Varma Sinha said the "NHAI is not placing contract agreement-related information on their website in the public domain".
The Central Information Commission (CIC) observed that "contractual agreements and safety plans directly impact public safety, transparency, and accountability in infrastructure projects".
It noted that "withholding such information under the guise of exemptions is inconsistent with the spirit of the RTI Act".
According to the order, proactive disclosure would "enhance transparency in public procurement and execution of highway projects", "ensure accountability of contractors and NHAI in adhering to safety norms", and "empower citizens to monitor compliance with safety standards and contractual obligations".
The advisory came while disposing of a second appeal filed by an RTI applicant seeking certified copies of documents related to the construction of flyovers at Shivpuri Bypass Crossing and Medical College Crossing in Jhansi.
The applicant had sought copies of the contract agreement, correspondence exchanged during project execution, approved safety plans and related communications.
The commission found that while the then CPIO had correctly provided the Letter of Award, the denial of copies of the contract agreement and approved safety plans under Section 8(1)(d) of the RTI Act was "evasive".
It held that the exemption had been "wrongly applied" and was "contrary to the provisions of the RTI Act, 2005", directing the CPIO to furnish the information.
The commission also reminded NHAI of its obligation under Section 4 of the RTI Act to proactively disclose information.
Referring to the Supreme Court's 2023 judgment in Kishan Chand Jain vs Union of India, it said transparency laws achieve their objective only when "the principle of accountability governs the relationship between 'right holders' and 'duty bearers'".
It advised NHAI to "take immediate steps to publish the above information in the public domain and ensure regular updates", observing that doing so would also reduce RTI applications seeking basic project information.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The CIC has advised NHAI to proactively disclose highway contracts, safety plans and project documents, saying greater transparency will improve public accountability
Issuing an advisory under Section 25(5) of the RTI Act, Information Commissioner Jaya Varma Sinha said the "NHAI is not placing contract agreement-related information on their website in the public domain".
The Central Information Commission (CIC) observed that "contractual agreements and safety plans directly impact public safety, transparency, and accountability in infrastructure projects".
It noted that "withholding such information under the guise of exemptions is inconsistent with the spirit of the RTI Act".
According to the order, proactive disclosure would "enhance transparency in public procurement and execution of highway projects", "ensure accountability of contractors and NHAI in adhering to safety norms", and "empower citizens to monitor compliance with safety standards and contractual obligations".
The advisory came while disposing of a second appeal filed by an RTI applicant seeking certified copies of documents related to the construction of flyovers at Shivpuri Bypass Crossing and Medical College Crossing in Jhansi.
The applicant had sought copies of the contract agreement, correspondence exchanged during project execution, approved safety plans and related communications.
The commission found that while the then CPIO had correctly provided the Letter of Award, the denial of copies of the contract agreement and approved safety plans under Section 8(1)(d) of the RTI Act was "evasive".
It held that the exemption had been "wrongly applied" and was "contrary to the provisions of the RTI Act, 2005", directing the CPIO to furnish the information.
The commission also reminded NHAI of its obligation under Section 4 of the RTI Act to proactively disclose information.
Referring to the Supreme Court's 2023 judgment in Kishan Chand Jain vs Union of India, it said transparency laws achieve their objective only when "the principle of accountability governs the relationship between 'right holders' and 'duty bearers'".
It advised NHAI to "take immediate steps to publish the above information in the public domain and ensure regular updates", observing that doing so would also reduce RTI applications seeking basic project information.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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