Give Bofors details in 15 days, info panel tells CBI

[karira]

Give Bofors details in 15 days, info panel tells CBI


The Central Information Commission (CIC) has sought explanation of the Home Ministry on denying information related to expenses incurred on the investigation in the Bofors pay-off case.

The commission also instructed the Central Bureau of Investigation to furnish the information sought within 15 days to RTI applicant Keder Nath Jena, a Cuttack based advocate. Jena had filed a RTI application with the Home Ministry in January 2006 wanting to know expenses incurred on probe, prosecution and in extradition proceedings of Ottavio Quattarocchi, Hinduja brothers and others in Bofors pay-off case since the beginning.

Instead, of furnishing him the information, the ministry forwarded his application to Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). But, DoPT also passed the buck on to CBI saying the probe agency was looking into the matter. On September 15, 2006, CBI told Jena that his application has been received but the information cannot be provided as validity of the demand draft had expired. He was asked to submit a fresh plea.

Aggrieved by the response, Jena filed a complaint with CIC in September 2006. The matter was heard on June 27 this year. In his decision, CIC Wajahat Habibullah instructed CBI to furnish information within 15 days to Jena and took an adverse view regarding handling of the RTI application.

Give Bofors details in 15 days, info panel tells CBI- Hindustan Times

[karira]

Something strange.
The applicant gave the correct application with the requisite fee. Just because the Government kept shuttling the application from one department to another, the validity of the D/D expired.
How is the applicant at fault ?
Why should the applicant be made to make a fresh plea and go through the trouble of getting a new D/D ?
Must be the "booming" subject matter...Bofors.

[karira]

Bofors case: CIC takes serious note of Govt withholding info

NEW DELHI: The Central Information Commission has taken serious note of the Government withholding information on the expenses incurred in the investigation of the Bofors pay off case.

The CIC has directed CBI to furnish details within 15 days to a Cuttack-based advocate Kedar Nath Jena, who had moved an RTI application seeking this information from the Home Ministry.

This also included costs incurred on the prosecution and extradition of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, an accused in the two-decade-old case.

"We must take adverse notice of the entire processing of this case, which was admittedly received in the Ministry on February six, last year, but has yet not been responded to with a complete reply, even though information is held by the government," Central Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah said in an order delivered on Wednesday.

The Home Ministry was directed to inquire into the reasons for delaying with the application of the advocate and sought its report within 20 days by identifying the persons responsible for failing to discharge their duty.

Six months after Jena's RTI application, he received a response in July last from the MHA stating that his request had been forwarded for necessary action to the Department of Personnel and training (DoPT).

The DoPT, however, referred the application back to the MHA on procedural grounds.

Bofors case: CIC takes serious note of Govt withholding info-India-The Times of India