Central Information Commission acts on an RTI plea by a Delhi-based trust
NEW DELHI: Rejecting the refusal of the prime minister’s office (PMO) to provide a list of classified files on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has asked it to make public a list of 29 such files.
The commission’s decision came after the PMO produced before it 33 classified files on the revolutionary leader. It, however, exempted four related files as they had reference to foreign states.
Acting on a right to information (RTI) application of Mission Netaji, a Delhi-based research trust, challenging the PMO’s refusal to make public its classified files on Netaji, the CIC had, in its order of January 25, asked the latter to produce in a sealed cover a list of classified files for its perusal.
The PMO, while declining to produce the list, had earlier said divulging contents of the files could affect India’s sovereignty and relations with foreign nations.
Perusing through the files as produced by the PMO, chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah said while four of the 33 classified files had a reference to foreign nations, the remaining 29 should be given.
In its order passed on Monday, the CIC also noted that out of the 29 files, seven were classified ‘top secret’, three ‘confidential’ and the remaining ‘secret’. Apart from the 33 files, the PMO informed the commission about two recently de-classified files.
“In the circumstances, the PMO will provide a list of the remaining 29 files in addition to the two recently de-classified ones, and list their titles,” Habibullah said directing the PMO’s information officer to provide the list within 10 days to Anuj Dhar, a Mission Netaji functionary.
Earlier, Dhar, in his RTI application, had sought a list of classified and de-classified records on Netaji, as available with the PMO. While the PMO replied it had 11 de-classified files on Netaji, an exception was claimed for listing classified files. It was also said that a process of declassification of PMO records was under way.
Dhar, who moved an appeal before the CIC, contended that while some of related PMO documents were classified, a nomenclature and description of the files were submitted before the Justice Mukherjee Commission.
