Dharmendra Shukla, a&nbsp;man from Indore city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh recently received a massive reply to his Right to Information Act (RTI) plea related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reply was in the form of a staggering 40,000 pages of information, reported PTI news agency.&nbsp;

Dharmendra Shukla had submitted an RTI plea requesting details about bill payments towards materials procured during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

"I had submitted an RTI plea with the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) of Indore seeking details of tenders and bill payments connected to procurement of medicines, equipment and allied materials during the COVID-19 pandemic period,” Shukla said on Saturday.

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However, the information he sought was not provided within the stipulated one-month time frame.

<h2>Approaching the appellate officer</h2>

Due to the lack of response within the specified time, Dharmendra Shukla approached the first appellate officer, Dr. Sharad Gupta.

Dr. Gupta accepted the plea and directed that the information should be given to Shukla free of cost.

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To deliver the enormous amount of information, Dharmendra Shukla had to use his sports utility vehicle (SUV). The 40,000 pages completely packed the vehicle.&nbsp;"I took my SUV to ferry the documents and the entire vehicle got packed. Only the driver's seat remained free," he reportedly said.

<h2>Information granted free of cost</h2>

PTI news agency said that upon being contacted, Dr. Sharad Gupta, the appellate officer and Regional Joint Director of the state health department, confirmed that he ordered the information to be provided to Shukla without any charges.

<h2>Action against delay</h2>

Even though Shukla got the RTI response, it was not received within the stipulated time period of one month.&nbsp;Dr. Gupta said that an action will be taken against the personnel responsible for the delay in providing the information.&nbsp;

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He directed the CMHO to take appropriate measures to address the situation, as the delay caused a loss of Rs 80,000 to the state exchequer.

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Dharmendra Shukla, a man from Indore city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh recently received a massive reply to his Right to Information Act (RTI) plea related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dharmendra Shukla, a man from Indore city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh recently received a massive reply to his Right to Information Act (RTI) plea related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reply was in the form of a staggering 40,000 pages of information, reported PTI news agency. Dharmendra Shukla had submitted an RTI plea requesting details about bill payments towards materials procured during the COVID-19 pandemic period. "I had submitted an RTI plea with the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) of Indore seeking details of tenders and bill payments connected to procurement of medicines, equipment and allied materials during the COVID-19 pandemic period,” Shukla said on Saturday. Also Read | Melting Swiss glacier coughs up body remains of hiker who went missing in 1986 However, the information he sought was not provided within the stipulated one-month time frame. Approaching the appellate officer Due to the lack of response within the specified time, Dharmendra Shukla approached the first appellate officer, Dr. Sharad Gupta. Dr. Gupta accepted the plea and directed that the information should be given to Shukla free of cost. Also Read | Asian masalanomics for spice trade spiced up in Vietnam 2000 years ago, reveals study To deliver the enormous amount of information, Dharmendra Shukla had to use his sports utility vehicle (SUV). The 40,000 pages completely packed the vehicle. "I took my SUV to ferry the documents and the entire vehicle got packed. Only the driver's seat remained free," he reportedly said. Information granted free of cost PTI news agency said that upon being contacted, Dr. Sharad Gupta, the appellate officer and Regional Joint Director of the state health department, confirmed that he ordered the information to be provided to Shukla without any charges. Action against delay Even though Shukla got the RTI response, it was not received within the stipulated time period of one month. Dr. Gupta said that an action will be taken against the personnel responsible for the delay in providing the information. Watch | Rains soak Northern China as Doksuri makes its way to Beijing × He directed the CMHO to take appropriate measures to address the situation, as the delay caused a loss of Rs 80,000 to the state exchequer. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Indore man's SUV fully loaded with 40,000 pages with COVID-19 Right to Information reply

The Rajya Sabha passed the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/opposition-demands-rti-amendment-bill-to-be-sent-to-joint-select-committee-238219">Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019</a> on Thursday, three days after it was cleared from the Lok Sabha.

The Bill was passed after rejecting several amendments and motions seeking to refer the Bill to a Select Committee. 117 members voted against the opposition motion while 75 members voted in its favour. The YSRCP, the BJD, the TRS voted with the government.

Around 218 members had voted in the favour of the bill while 79 voted against it in the Lower House on Monday.

The opposition on Wednesday had demanded that the RTI amendment bill be&nbsp;sent to the Joint Select Committee.

Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi held discussions on the bill at the party office in Parliament on Wednesday with Rajya Sabha MPs of Congress and other opposition parties.

The 2005 Act was enacted during the first Congress-led UPA government and the alliance's chairperson Sonia Gandhi sat through the debate.

The changes proposed by the government in the RTI bill include the salaries and the tenures of the Infomation Commissioners at the state and the centre.

Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh said that the Bill only states that terms and conditions will be specified by the government and these had not been deliberated upon.

The minister said it had done away with the need for attestations as also interviews for a certain category of jobs to promote transparency and accountability.

(With inputs from ANI)

The Rajya Sabha passed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on Thursday, three days after it was cleared from the Lok Sabha. The Bill was passed after rejecting several amendments and motions seeking to refer the Bill to a Select Committee.

The Rajya Sabha passed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on Thursday, three days after it was cleared from the Lok Sabha. The Bill was passed after rejecting several amendments and motions seeking to refer the Bill to a Select Committee. 117 members voted against the opposition motion while 75 members voted in its favour. The YSRCP, the BJD, the TRS voted with the government. Around 218 members had voted in the favour of the bill while 79 voted against it in the Lower House on Monday. The opposition on Wednesday had demanded that the RTI amendment bill be sent to the Joint Select Committee. Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi held discussions on the bill at the party office in Parliament on Wednesday with Rajya Sabha MPs of Congress and other opposition parties. The 2005 Act was enacted during the first Congress-led UPA government and the alliance's chairperson Sonia Gandhi sat through the debate. The changes proposed by the government in the RTI bill include the salaries and the tenures of the Infomation Commissioners at the state and the centre. Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh said that the Bill only states that terms and conditions will be specified by the government and these had not been deliberated upon. The minister said it had done away with the need for attestations as also interviews for a certain category of jobs to promote transparency and accountability. (With inputs from ANI)

Rajya Sabha passes Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/court-summons-arvind-kejriwal-manish-sisodia-in-defamation-suit-filed-by-bjps-vijender-gupta-234089">Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal</a> on Monday said that the decision to amend the Right to Information (RTI) Act is not a correct move as it will end the independence of Central and State Information Commissions.

"Decision to amend the RTI Act is a bad move. It will end the independence of Central &amp; States Information Commissions, which will be bad for RTI," Kejriwal tweeted.&nbsp;

Earlier, the government on July 19 introduced the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha which seeks to give the central government power to fix the tenure and salaries of information commissioners.

Opposition parties staged a walkout protesting against its introduction. During the voting on the introduction of the amended Bill, 224 members voted in favour while nine in against.

Several opposition members stated that the amendments will dilute the provisions of the original Bill.

However, Speaker Om Birla said that objections should be about the introduction of the Bill and its merits can be discussed during the discussion.

Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh, rejected allegations of the Opposition and said that nobody can accuse the government of weakening the architecture concerning the Right to Information."A portal for the purpose was created during our government," he said.&nbsp;

Singh accused the erstwhile UPA government of bringing the law in a hurry and leaving loopholes and said that the bill would allow the government to frame rules.

Singh said that the government is open to suggestions from opposition members when the Bill is discussed.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that the decision to amend the Right to Information (RTI) Act is not a correct move as it will end the independence of Central and State Information Commissions.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that the decision to amend the Right to Information (RTI) Act is not a correct move as it will end the independence of Central and State Information Commissions. "Decision to amend the RTI Act is a bad move. It will end the independence of Central & States Information Commissions, which will be bad for RTI," Kejriwal tweeted. Earlier, the government on July 19 introduced the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha which seeks to give the central government power to fix the tenure and salaries of information commissioners. Opposition parties staged a walkout protesting against its introduction. During the voting on the introduction of the amended Bill, 224 members voted in favour while nine in against. Several opposition members stated that the amendments will dilute the provisions of the original Bill. However, Speaker Om Birla said that objections should be about the introduction of the Bill and its merits can be discussed during the discussion. Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh, rejected allegations of the Opposition and said that nobody can accuse the government of weakening the architecture concerning the Right to Information."A portal for the purpose was created during our government," he said. Singh accused the erstwhile UPA government of bringing the law in a hurry and leaving loopholes and said that the bill would allow the government to frame rules. Singh said that the government is open to suggestions from opposition members when the Bill is discussed.

Decision to amend RTI Act is a bad move: Arvind Kejriwal

Law Commission of India has recommended that Right to Information Act (RTI) should be applicable to The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which is the governing body for cricket in India.

Currently, the cash-rich cricket board is registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act. The Law Commission of India wants the BCCI to be converted into a public body.

The Law Commission said non-consideration of the role played by the BCCI as monopolistic in the regulation of the game of cricket has resulted in the board "flying under the radar of public scrutiny, encouraged an environment of opacity and non-accountability".

If the government accepts the recommendations then anyone can file PILs in the SC or HCs regarding selections of players, wage rates and other decisions.

Additionally, it is recommended that RTI Act is made applicable to BCCI along with all of its constituent member cricketing associations, provided they fulfil the criteria applicable to BCCI, as discussed in the report.

BCCI's own Memorandum of Association states that the Board’s objects and purposes are to control, improve quality, lay down policies pertaining to the game of cricket in India as well as select teams to represent India at international fora.

The BCCI is India's richest sporting body and the richest cricket board in the world and had avoided taxes on its income by claiming exemption as a charitable organisation.

BCCI was a part of the National Sports Federation for cricket, which received thousands of crores towards tax concessions.

In July 2016, the Supreme Court had asked the commission to recommend whether the cricket board can be brought under the Right to Information Act.

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It is recommended that RTI Act be made applicable to BCCI along with all of its constituent member cricketing associations, provided they fulfill the criteria applicable to BCCI: Law Commission of India <a href="https://t.co/lbf1BAcEny">pic.twitter.com/lbf1BAcEny</a>
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The BCCI organises&nbsp;following domestic cricket competitions:

BCCI Corporate Trophy 
Ranji Trophy 
NKP Salve Challenger Trophy 
Duleep Trophy 
Vijay Hazare Trophy 
Deodhar Trophy 
Indian Premier League 
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 
Irani Cup

If the government accepts the recommendations then anyone can file PILs in the Supreme Court or High Court regarding BCCI's decision

Law Commission of India has recommended that Right to Information Act (RTI) should be applicable to The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which is the governing body for cricket in India. Currently, the cash-rich cricket board is registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act. The Law Commission of India wants the BCCI to be converted into a public body. The Law Commission said non-consideration of the role played by the BCCI as monopolistic in the regulation of the game of cricket has resulted in the board "flying under the radar of public scrutiny, encouraged an environment of opacity and non-accountability". If the government accepts the recommendations then anyone can file PILs in the SC or HCs regarding selections of players, wage rates and other decisions. Additionally, it is recommended that RTI Act is made applicable to BCCI along with all of its constituent member cricketing associations, provided they fulfil the criteria applicable to BCCI, as discussed in the report. BCCI's own Memorandum of Association states that the Board’s objects and purposes are to control, improve quality, lay down policies pertaining to the game of cricket in India as well as select teams to represent India at international fora. The BCCI is India's richest sporting body and the richest cricket board in the world and had avoided taxes on its income by claiming exemption as a charitable organisation. BCCI was a part of the National Sports Federation for cricket, which received thousands of crores towards tax concessions. In July 2016, the Supreme Court had asked the commission to recommend whether the cricket board can be brought under the Right to Information Act. It is recommended that RTI Act be made applicable to BCCI along with all of its constituent member cricketing associations, provided they fulfill the criteria applicable to BCCI: Law Commission of India pic.twitter.com/lbf1BAcEny — ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2018 × The BCCI organises following domestic cricket competitions: BCCI Corporate Trophy Ranji Trophy NKP Salve Challenger Trophy Duleep Trophy Vijay Hazare Trophy Deodhar Trophy Indian Premier League Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Irani Cup

BCCI should come under RTI, recommends Law Commission of India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said it was imperative that people are made aware of the importance of their duties as asserting one&#39;s own rights without rendering duties is against the fundamental value of the democracy.

Speaking at the inauguration of the new building premises of the Central Information Commission (CIC) here, he also said that it has been noticed that some people misuse rights of people for vested interests.

He said that the system has to bear the burden of such attempts.

Modi said people need to be made aware of their duties along with their rights.

&quot;Only talking about rights and forgetting duties, forgetting aspirations of the Constitution, is against the fundamental spirit of the democracy,&quot; he said.

He said just like the RTI (Right to Information), the concept of &#39;Act Rightly&#39; should be discussed and the citizens should be informed about their duties along with their rights.

He urged the CIC, which has a large public interaction, to take up the task of making aware the citizens about &#39;Act Rightly&#39;.

&quot;When there is transparency in the arrangements, increasing responsibility towards the people, a sense of responsibility, both the work of the governments and the impact of the schemes change,&quot; he said.

At the event, Modi also launched a mobile application of the CIC for tracking and filing appeals and complaints at the transparency panel.

&quot;I agree&quot;, he said, &quot;that an empowered citizen is the strongest pillar of our democracy&quot;.

&quot;In the last four years you have seen how the central government has attempted to inform and empower the people of the country through different means,&quot; he said.

According to Modi, there have been many examples in history when information is treated like a one-way channel and hence there were many serious consequences thereof.

&quot;So our government, instead of one dimensional approach, works on the principle of modern information highway,&quot; he said.

An empowered citizen is the most important pillar of our democracy, he said.

He said his government has been working on five pillars of modern information highway -- ask, listen, interact, act and inform.

&quot;India is fast becoming a digitally-empowered society; information technology is being used to ease processes and ensure transparency and quality of service,&quot; he said.

He said since the enactment of the RTI Act about 12 years ago, the CIC has been operating in rented accommodation and his government, in 2014, accorded a sanction of Rs 60 crore for constructing an independent building for the transparency body.

The prime minister said democratic and participative governance requires transparency and accountability.

He said CIC plays a key role in this regard and work as catalysts for trust-based governance.

The prime minister said that over the last four years, the central government has been informing and empowering people through various means.

Underlining achievements of his government in ensuring transparency in work culture, Modi said information commonly asked for is being uploaded on web portals of the departments and ministries concerned, digital technology is being used to improve transparency and quality of citizen services.

&quot;In a meeting of PRAGATI last week, the progress of reconstruction works at Kedarnath was monitored through a drone camera... PRAGATI meetings have helped speed up projects worth over 9 lakh crore rupees,&quot; he said.

The prime minister said recently Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals, which employed 1,100 personnel, has been closed down to ensure transparent procurement process which will allow anyone in the country to become the supplier for the government.

He said these employees are now being transferred to other departments.

He said that public procurement is now being done through the Government e Market, or GeM platform which is helping to end corruption and bring transparency in government procurement.

He also spoke of minimising human interface in government-people interactions.&nbsp;

At the event, Modi also launched a mobile application of the CIC for tracking and filing appeals and complaints at the transparency panel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said it was imperative that people are made aware of the importance of their duties as asserting one's own rights without rendering duties is against the fundamental value of the democracy. Speaking at the inauguration of the new building premises of the Central Information Commission (CIC) here, he also said that it has been noticed that some people misuse rights of people for vested interests. He said that the system has to bear the burden of such attempts. Modi said people need to be made aware of their duties along with their rights. "Only talking about rights and forgetting duties, forgetting aspirations of the Constitution, is against the fundamental spirit of the democracy," he said. He said just like the RTI (Right to Information), the concept of 'Act Rightly' should be discussed and the citizens should be informed about their duties along with their rights. He urged the CIC, which has a large public interaction, to take up the task of making aware the citizens about 'Act Rightly'. "When there is transparency in the arrangements, increasing responsibility towards the people, a sense of responsibility, both the work of the governments and the impact of the schemes change," he said. At the event, Modi also launched a mobile application of the CIC for tracking and filing appeals and complaints at the transparency panel. "I agree", he said, "that an empowered citizen is the strongest pillar of our democracy". "In the last four years you have seen how the central government has attempted to inform and empower the people of the country through different means," he said. According to Modi, there have been many examples in history when information is treated like a one-way channel and hence there were many serious consequences thereof. "So our government, instead of one dimensional approach, works on the principle of modern information highway," he said. An empowered citizen is the most important pillar of our democracy, he said. He said his government has been working on five pillars of modern information highway -- ask, listen, interact, act and inform. "India is fast becoming a digitally-empowered society; information technology is being used to ease processes and ensure transparency and quality of service," he said. He said since the enactment of the RTI Act about 12 years ago, the CIC has been operating in rented accommodation and his government, in 2014, accorded a sanction of Rs 60 crore for constructing an independent building for the transparency body. The prime minister said democratic and participative governance requires transparency and accountability. He said CIC plays a key role in this regard and work as catalysts for trust-based governance. The prime minister said that over the last four years, the central government has been informing and empowering people through various means. Underlining achievements of his government in ensuring transparency in work culture, Modi said information commonly asked for is being uploaded on web portals of the departments and ministries concerned, digital technology is being used to improve transparency and quality of citizen services. "In a meeting of PRAGATI last week, the progress of reconstruction works at Kedarnath was monitored through a drone camera... PRAGATI meetings have helped speed up projects worth over 9 lakh crore rupees," he said. The prime minister said recently Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals, which employed 1,100 personnel, has been closed down to ensure transparent procurement process which will allow anyone in the country to become the supplier for the government. He said these employees are now being transferred to other departments. He said that public procurement is now being done through the Government e Market, or GeM platform which is helping to end corruption and bring transparency in government procurement. He also spoke of minimising human interface in government-people interactions.

Claiming rights without duties is against democratic values: PM

The oustanding tax demand by the income tax department on the Board of Control for Cricket in India may go up to over Rs 860 crore, according to an RTI reply from the department.

In response to an application by RTI activist Subhash Agrawal, the I-T department has given details of the tax demands raised by it on the BCCI and the payments made by the cricket body.

The tax department said the total tax payable by the BCCI till January 9, 2018 was Rs 1325.31 crore for the assessment year 2014-15 of which it had paid Rs 864.78 crore leaving an outstanding tax of Rs 460.52 crore.

The reply said for the year 2015-16, the assessment will be completed and the department is likely to raise a demand of Rs 400 crore on the cricket body, taking the total pending demand to Rs 860.52 crore.

The response of the tax department came after the Central Information Commission directed it to furnish the factual position on the demand pending and the recoveries made for the period sought by Agrawal.

&quot;The commission would also like to draw the attention of the tax recovery authorities about the approach, procedures and extant guidelines followed by the respondent in recovery of arrears of taxes due from the public body (BCCI) and the interest accrued thereon in this particular case vis-a-vis the philosophy pursued in similarly placed matters,&quot; Information Commissioner Bimal Julka said in a recent order.

The answer was in response to a query filed by RTI activist Subhash Agrawal.

The oustanding tax demand by the income tax department on the Board of Control for Cricket in India may go up to over Rs 860 crore, according to an RTI reply from the department. In response to an application by RTI activist Subhash Agrawal, the I-T department has given details of the tax demands raised by it on the BCCI and the payments made by the cricket body. The tax department said the total tax payable by the BCCI till January 9, 2018 was Rs 1325.31 crore for the assessment year 2014-15 of which it had paid Rs 864.78 crore leaving an outstanding tax of Rs 460.52 crore. The reply said for the year 2015-16, the assessment will be completed and the department is likely to raise a demand of Rs 400 crore on the cricket body, taking the total pending demand to Rs 860.52 crore. The response of the tax department came after the Central Information Commission directed it to furnish the factual position on the demand pending and the recoveries made for the period sought by Agrawal. "The commission would also like to draw the attention of the tax recovery authorities about the approach, procedures and extant guidelines followed by the respondent in recovery of arrears of taxes due from the public body (BCCI) and the interest accrued thereon in this particular case vis-a-vis the philosophy pursued in similarly placed matters," Information Commissioner Bimal Julka said in a recent order.

Outstanding tax demand of BCCI may go up to over Rs 860 crore: RTI reply

Pakistan gave its nod to a bill that will empower citizens to access government information.

A Pakistani parliamentary body Tuesday unanimously passed the Right to Information (RTI) Bill.&nbsp;

Under the new legislation, citizens can get information about government activities and more importantly, government agencies will have to provide all information about a missing person within three days of a request being filed.

A three-member commission with the power to order public bodies to disclose information and provide records will be formed to hear RTI requests. The commission will entertain requests for records from the past 20 years, as records older than 20 years will automatically pass in the public domain.

Senator Farhatullah Babar, who chaired the committee, said that in case a person is abducted and killed by security agencies, the agencies will no longer be able to use &lsquo;national security&rsquo; as an excuse not to provide information on the matter. He said that no information that pertains to matters of fundamental human rights will be allowed to be withheld.

The Bill will now be presented to Parliament for further deliberations and passing into an Act.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A Pakistani parliamentary committee unanimously passed the Right to Information Bill on Tuesday

Pakistan gave its nod to a bill that will empower citizens to access government information. A Pakistani parliamentary body Tuesday unanimously passed the Right to Information (RTI) Bill. Under the new legislation, citizens can get information about government activities and more importantly, government agencies will have to provide all information about a missing person within three days of a request being filed. A three-member commission with the power to order public bodies to disclose information and provide records will be formed to hear RTI requests. The commission will entertain requests for records from the past 20 years, as records older than 20 years will automatically pass in the public domain. Senator Farhatullah Babar, who chaired the committee, said that in case a person is abducted and killed by security agencies, the agencies will no longer be able to use ‘national security’ as an excuse not to provide information on the matter. He said that no information that pertains to matters of fundamental human rights will be allowed to be withheld. The Bill will now be presented to Parliament for further deliberations and passing into an Act. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Pakistanis can now track government activities after new bill is passed

India&#39;s central bank refused to&nbsp;divulge whether the views of the chief economic advisor and finance minister were taken into account before the sudden announcement of demonetisation of high-value currency notes by prime minister Narendra Modi on November 8.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which was responding to a query under the Right to Information Act (RTI), said it could not answer the question since it did not come under the definition of &quot;information&quot; under the transparency law.

The applicant wanted to know whether the &quot;views of Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramaniam and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley were taken before announcement was made&quot;.

&quot;Query is in the nature of seeking opinion from Central Public Information Officers (CPIO) which is not defined as information as per Section 2(f) of the RTI Act,&quot; the RBI said in response to an RTI query.

Asked whether the information sought fell under &quot;seeking opinion&quot; from the CPIO, former Chief Information Commissioner A N Tiwari said, &quot;No. It does not. It is a fact sought by an RTI applicant. The CPIO cannot say an opinion has been sought from him.&quot;

&quot;How can it be called seeking an opinion? Whether someone was consulted or not is a matter of record. Had the question been that should views be taken then it would mean taking opinion,&quot; former Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said, expressing surprise at the response of RBI Central Public Information Officer.

The definition of information covers &quot;any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force&quot;.

The query was also sent to the Prime Minister&#39;s Office and the Finance Ministry but it remained unanswered even after 30 days of filing of the RTI application.

The applicant had also sought to know the designation and the names of officials who were consulted before scraping of old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes.

&quot;The information sought relates to sensitive matters pertaining to discontinuation/withdrawal of bank notes. The information is exempt from disclosure under Section 8(1)(a) and (g) of RTI Act,&quot; the RBI said.

The monetary policy regulator also did not disclose if the decision to demonetise currency notes worth Rs 20 lakh crore was opposed by any official or minister, saying the information sought is &quot;hypothetical&quot; in nature.

It also cited Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act to deny minutes of deliberations related to demonetisation.

Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act exempts from disclosure the information 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.

Information sought under Section 8(1)(g) 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.

The RBI has been denying information related to crucial aspects related to demonetisation citing exemption clauses. It recently refused to give reasons behind the demonetisation move.

Earlier, it had denied to Mumbai-based RTI Activist Anil Galgali information about distribution of currency to banks between November 9 and November 19 citing Section 8(1)(g) of the RTI Act.

The central bank did not give any reason as to how this section would apply in the case of information sought by Galgali.

RTI Activist Venkatesh Nayak, who was also denied deliberations on demonetisation by the RBI, said: &quot;While confidentiality prior to announcing the demonetisation decision is understandable, continued secrecy after its implementation is difficult to understand when people are facing problems due to shortage of cash.&quot;

He said the refusal to disclose the minutes of the board meeting where the decision was taken is &quot;perplexing&quot;. 
 
(PTI)

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India's central bank said it could not answer the question, since it did not come under the definition of 'information'

India's central bank refused to divulge whether the views of the chief economic advisor and finance minister were taken into account before the sudden announcement of demonetisation of high-value currency notes by prime minister Narendra Modi on November 8. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which was responding to a query under the Right to Information Act (RTI), said it could not answer the question since it did not come under the definition of "information" under the transparency law. The applicant wanted to know whether the "views of Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramaniam and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley were taken before announcement was made". "Query is in the nature of seeking opinion from Central Public Information Officers (CPIO) which is not defined as information as per Section 2(f) of the RTI Act," the RBI said in response to an RTI query. Asked whether the information sought fell under "seeking opinion" from the CPIO, former Chief Information Commissioner A N Tiwari said, "No. It does not. It is a fact sought by an RTI applicant. The CPIO cannot say an opinion has been sought from him." "How can it be called seeking an opinion? Whether someone was consulted or not is a matter of record. Had the question been that should views be taken then it would mean taking opinion," former Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said, expressing surprise at the response of RBI Central Public Information Officer. The definition of information covers "any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force". The query was also sent to the Prime Minister's Office and the Finance Ministry but it remained unanswered even after 30 days of filing of the RTI application. The applicant had also sought to know the designation and the names of officials who were consulted before scraping of old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes. "The information sought relates to sensitive matters pertaining to discontinuation/withdrawal of bank notes. The information is exempt from disclosure under Section 8(1)(a) and (g) of RTI Act," the RBI said. The monetary policy regulator also did not disclose if the decision to demonetise currency notes worth Rs 20 lakh crore was opposed by any official or minister, saying the information sought is "hypothetical" in nature. It also cited Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act to deny minutes of deliberations related to demonetisation. Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act exempts from disclosure the information 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. Information sought under Section 8(1)(g) 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. The RBI has been denying information related to crucial aspects related to demonetisation citing exemption clauses. It recently refused to give reasons behind the demonetisation move. Earlier, it had denied to Mumbai-based RTI Activist Anil Galgali information about distribution of currency to banks between November 9 and November 19 citing Section 8(1)(g) of the RTI Act. The central bank did not give any reason as to how this section would apply in the case of information sought by Galgali. RTI Activist Venkatesh Nayak, who was also denied deliberations on demonetisation by the RBI, said: "While confidentiality prior to announcing the demonetisation decision is understandable, continued secrecy after its implementation is difficult to understand when people are facing problems due to shortage of cash." He said the refusal to disclose the minutes of the board meeting where the decision was taken is "perplexing". (PTI)

RBI refuses to say if finance minister was consulted before demonetisation