Govt to challenge CIC order on P J Thomas' empanelment

In February, Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra, who was former secretary in the Department of Personnel, had directed the Cabinet Secretariat to disclose documents related to empanelment of Thomas at Centre.

The Cabinet Secretariat had claimed that the information was exempted under the RTI because of being cabinet document.

Rejecting the contentions, the CIC found it fit case for making public.

Three months after the order, the Cabinet Secretariat has refused to disclose the documents and told RTI applicant Subhash Agrawal that it has decided to challenge the order of the Chief Information Commissioner in the Delhi High Court.

The Cabinet Secretariat in its latest communication said it had sought permission of the competent authority for providing the required documents in compliance with the order of the CIC.

"The undersigned has been conveyed that competent authority has decided to go into an appeal in the Delhi High Court against the directions of CIC for providing copies of the file noting and other records relating to both the framing of rule made by the Central government for empanelment of officers for posting, at the level of Additional Secretary and Secretary to the Government of India as well as its subsequent amendments/relaxations," said S P Roy, Under Secretary at Cabinet Secretariat. (More)