No files were destroyed: Delhi govt to CIC

Allegations of destruction of files by government officials are untrue and without any basis, Delhi government today informed the Central Information Commission.
Responding to notices issued by the CIC in this regard, the government of NCT submitted, "Secretary ex-minister Urban Development, Revenue and local bodies who conducted the inquiry has intimated that a thorough check of the record of files has revealed that there are only two files pending in the office of the minister, which are safe. The question of destroying the files does not arise at all."
"The allegations made are found to be untrue and without any basis. It is intimated that office of the minister is not an office of record and files are maintained by respective departments and files are submitted to the office of minister from time to time through recorded trail through file movement register/computer diary of the respective department," it said, adding directions of CIC to preserve all the records have been communicated and complied with.

In an out of turn hearing of the complaint filed by activists Maja Daruwala and Venkatesh Nayak, the transparency panel issued a stern warning to Chief Secretary to alert vigilance and other officers to take all preventive steps to protect the records from destruction.
"If respondent public authority comes to notice of any such destruction as apprehended, he may initiate necessary criminal action against concerned person as destruction of records might amount to serious crime by itself under Indian Penal Code or any other law," Information Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu had directed the Chief Secretary.
In his complaint to the CIC, Nayak said if the apprehension of destruction of records becomes true it would cause irreparable loss because the evidence or corruption or innocence would be destroyed forever.