Aarogya Setu app made in most transparent way: Govt reply to CIC show-cause

Adds that app was launched in a record 21 days under PPP to bring people together in fight against Covid

Served show-cause notices by the Central Information Commission (CIC) on Wednesday over ‘evasive answers’ to RTI applications about who created the Aarogya Setu app, the Central government responded saying the app was launched in the most transparent manner. The app was brought out in a record time of 21 days under public-private partnership to bring the people of the country together in the fight against Covid-19. 

“The Aarogya Setu App was developed in a record time of around 21 days, to respond to the exigencies of the Pandemic with Lockdown restrictions only for the objective of building a Made in India Contact Tracing App with the best of Indian minds from Industry, Academia and Government, working round the clock to build a robust, scalable and secure App,” said the government. 

The clarification came after notices were issued to the Central Public Information Officers (CPIO) of the Ministry of Electronics, National Informatics Centre and the NeGD. The CIC asked the CPIOs why it shouldn’t impose penalties on them — under the RTI Act — for ‘obstruction of information’. The RTI application relates to information sought regarding the creation of Aarogya Setu app. According to the RTI body, the NIC and the IT ministry have both denied knowledge about who created the app.

The government said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is taking necessary steps to comply with the orders of the CIC.

“The App has been downloaded by more than 16.23 crore users and has greatly augmented the efforts of front line health workers in the fight against Covid-19. It has helped identify Bluetooth contacts of Covid positive users and issued alerts for helping people to stay safe,” stated the response by the government.