Donation recieved by political party over 20 years ago?

[venugopal]

Political parties had recieved donations fom American and Russion Intelligence Agencies during the Emergency of 1975.

Can a PIO release that information or is it exempted because its more than 20 year old.

[maneesh]

Indian RTI Act is unique in a way that it includes even Government as third party.
In India, Parliament adopted the Government’s Bill which includes the public authorities in the definition of third party, disregarding the Parliamentary Standing Committee’s recommendation not to do so.

If such a request for information under RTI is received, the third party objection appears warranted. It then depends on the facts of the case as presented by both party wheatehr such information can be released or not.

I beleive the spirit of RTI is to look into future and ensure trasparency and accountalbity and ensure good gonvernace, over all development not to go in the past and bring back ghosts to haunt in the present.

[sngupta]

Mr. Venugopal,
Under RTI Act 2005 we may ask informations related to period less than 20 years. RTI is not allowing to ask informations a period more than 20 years. We may ask information on making connectivity like accounts covering the period of 20 years.

[colnrkurup]

I am not touching aspects other than the '20 years' portion. Section 8(3) of theRTIAct relating to " 20 years" is the most misunderstood Sections of the RTI Act. One has to read few times with concentration to grasp this section It says "Subject to the provisions of clauses (a),(c) and(i) of sub-section (1),any information relating to any occurrence, event or matter which has taken place,occurred or happened twenty years before the date on which any request is made under section 6 shall be provided to any person making a request under that section. It does not bar provision of information over 20years. What they meant was that a secret does not remain a secret and looses its value after 20 years. I shall make it more clear. If a country decided to attack another country within 2 days, it is a Top Secret. After that country is attacked i.e., after 2 days it is no more a secret. It is known to the whole world. Here the Architects ofRTI Act has fixed a period of 20 years. After 20 years whatever secrecy a particular information had, ceased to exist except of cource that given in 8(1)(a), (c) and (i).