Apparel export body is covered under RTI Act: CIC

The Central Information Commission has held that the official panel of apparel exporters — Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) — is a public authority, making it liable to provide information under the RTI Act.     

AEPC, while denying information sought by RTI applicant Vijay Sareen about delegations sent abroad by it, argued that since the council was neither a government company, a government department nor a public undertaking, it was not a public authority covered under the Act.     

Pleading before the CIC against the AEPC, Sareen said the council was sponsored by different Central government ministries with four government nominees in its Executive Committee and therefore liable to provide information.     

He argued that in cases of default by exporters, their earnest money deposits, taken as guarantee for fulfilling their export obligation, were deposited in consolidated fund of India.     

Sareen also said the council was directly or indirectly financed by government to an extent of about 74 per cent of its total expenditure.     

Information Commissioner M M Ansari upheld the view of Sareen calling it "hard to disparate".     

"The AEPC is therefore undoubtedly covered under RTI Act as a public authority. The respondent is directed to comply with the provisions of the Act and submit a compliance report within one month," Ansari said.