CIC Asks PMO to Disclose corruption complaints against serving ministers
New Delhi, Oct 21: The Central Information Commission has directed the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to disclose complaints of corruption received against Union ministers between 2014 and 2017 and action taken on them.
Chief Information Commissioner Radha Krishna Mathur, while deciding a plea of Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, also directed the PMO to share information about the quantum and value of black money brought back from abroad during the tenure of the Narendra Modi dispensation, along with records of efforts made in this direction.
The order asked the PMO to disclose information related to deposits made by the government in bank accounts of Indian citizens from the black money brought from abroad.
The Prime Minister's Office had termed the questions asked by Chaturvedi, in his RTI application related to black money, as not covered in the definition of "information" which can be accessed under the Right to Information Act, but the commissioner rejected the contention.
"The respondent (PMO) has wrongly stated in his reply against point nos 4 (black money brought from abroad) and 5 (deposits made in bank accounts of Indian citizens from the black money recovered from abroad) of the RTI application that 'request made by the appellant is not covered under the definition of 'information' as per Section 2(f) of the RTI Act'," Mathur said while ordering their disclosure.
In his RTI application, Chaturvedi had also sought information on various schemes of the BJP government such as 'Make in India', 'Skill India', 'Swachh Bharat' and 'Smart City Project' which were transferred to the ministry concerned by the PMO.
Not getting satisfactory response from the PMO, Chaturvedi filed an appeal before the Central Information Commission, the highest appellate body on RTI matters.
During the hearing, Chaturvedi told the commission that he had sought specific information regarding certified copy of complaints submitted to the Prime Minister against corruption of serving union ministers which should be provided to him.
"The commission further observed that the respondent (PMO) has not given correct and specific reply/information to the appellant on point numbers 1(b) (corruption complaints against ministers), 4, 5, 12 & 13 (related to corruption in AIIMS) of the RTI application," Mathur noted.
The commission also directed the PMO to disclose action taken on a letter of Chaturvedi alleging corruption against officials of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and purported role of a union health minister in it.
Chaturvedi had earlier raised the issue of alleged corruption in the erstwhile Congress government in Haryana and a forestry scam case in which fake plantations were allegedly carried out across the state.
Facing purported harassment from the state government, he appealed to the central government which formed a committee in union environment ministry in 2010. Its report found merit in the contentions of Chaturvedi.
The ministry also confirmed the harassment of Chaturvedi and recommended quashing of cases against him which were quashed by the President.
He was brought to AIIMS as Chief Vigilance Officer by the Congress-led UPA government and his work to contain corruption at the prestigious institute was termed outstanding by the then Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
In August 2014, Chaturvedi was relieved from AIIMS and sent to Uttarakhand where he is serving as a conservator of forests.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
