Central Information Commission (CIC): CIC has directed Chief Minister Office (CMO), Delhi to disclose the details regarding cost incurred in advertising of anti-corruption drive initiated by the Delhi Government, along with action on reports of bribery. This order of the Commission came upon the appeal filed by an RTI activist, who sought information regarding the matter but was denied the same by officials of CM Office. The appellant also asked for disclosure of copies of the orders of audit of power companies and details of air conditioners installed at the residence of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, in the appeal. In their defense, representatives of the CM office submitted before CIC that they do not hold the information which had been dealt with in various files of the different Departments of the Delhi Government and it is for the concerned Departments, to whom the CM office transfers the RTI applications, to furnish the information directly to the RTI applicant. It was further submitted before CIC that the RTI application of the appellant was transferred to the concerned departments, namely, AntiCorruption, Electricity Department and GAD etc. After hearing both the parties, CIC observed that CMO being the high office of the Delhi Government is expected to be more responsive to such kind of applications and it is their duty to collect information with reference to anticorruption drive of the Chief Minister, which the Government claimed as unique programme. While noting that officials of CM Office, “should consider this application as an opportunity to prove their commitment towards anticorruption”, Commission directed the PIO/CMO to provide a comprehensive report of working of the anticorruption policy and furnish the same to the appellant with a copy to the Commission within one month. [Shiv Kumar v. Chief Minister’s office, GNCTD, 2016 SCC OnLine CIC 580, decided on February 10, 2016]
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