While disclosures and transparency have been the buzz in the higher judiciary for sometime, the Union law ministry has forgotten to keep its backyard in order. The ministry has no information about the assets of its minister M Veerappa Moily, and none on his travel outside Delhi, the expenses incurred on them or the purpose of the tours.
Replying to an RTI application filed by Delhi’s Rajeev Agarwal, it said: “No information is available with this branch secretariat on the travel of the law minister and the purpose and the total cost incurred during the travel and stay.” The ministry said it had “no information about the list of assets and the bank balances of Moily”.
Agarwal, besides queries on the minister, was keen to know details of the functioning of the attorney general (AG), solicitor general (SG), additional solicitor generals (ASG), government’s standing counsel and their perks and entitlements.
The ministry’s reply was inadequate there too. While the fees payable to the AG, SG and ASGs are governed by terms and conditions issued by the ministry, the reply says the ministry has no information on payments made to them by ministries or public undertakings with respect to opinions, appearances and settling of affidavits and conferences between June and September 15 last.
“The office has no information on payments to the AG and SG. However, payments to ASGs are payable by the litigant department,” chief public information officer (CPIO) BK Bhargava said, adding that information about this had been notified on January 1, 1987, and July 18, 2008, in the official gazette.
Bhargava said the government’s top law officers were entitled to actual expenses incurred on travelling, boarding and lodging during official visits. There’s no provision for the top law officers to travel other than by executive class or stay in five-star accommodation.
“As per the ministry notification of July 18, 2008... where a law officer is required to perform journeys outside the headquarters in the course of his duties, he shall be paid or reimbursed the actual expenses incurred on travelling and on boarding and lodging,” the CPIO said. Agarwal may challenge the government’s inadequate information on his queries.
