CIC directs DoPT to disclose names of IAS officers in graft cases since 2010

New Delhi: The CIC has directed the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to disclose names of IAS officers against whom sanction of prosecution has been given in corruption cases since 2010.

The information is often disclosed by the Centre in response to questions raised in Parliament.

DoPT Commissioner Divya Prakash Sinha has issued the order on the petition of Lucknow-based activist Nutan Thakur.

She had sought records, including file noting, communication etc, related to the sanction of prosecution against IAS officers between 2010 and 2017, but was not provided information by the Department of Personnel.

She argued that the information is in larger public interest.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) rejected the request for file noting and other records generated while according the sanction as it would mean diversion of resources.

“The Commission observes from the perusal of facts on record that information sought in the RTI Application(s) is largely unspecific and is required to be gathered from voluminous records which may entail disproportionate diversion of resources as per Section 7(9) of RTI Act,” Sinha ordered.

He however directed that the names of IAS officers for whom prosecution sanction has been granted as well as denied for the period starting from year 2010 till date of RTI application should be provided.

It is not the first time that the transparency panel has taken a decision to disclose these records.

The then Information Commissioner, Shailesh Gandhi, had also ordered disclosure of records pertaining to sanction of prosecution for IAS, IPS and IFS officers.

The DoPT had provided the information to applicant Kishanlal Mittal.

The information related to names of IAS officers for whom sanction of prosecution was granted had been provided in the Lok Sabha by the UPA government in a reply December 12, 2011.

PTI