CIC asks for Menon appointment files from Cabinet Secretariat

New Delhi, May 7 (UNI) The Central Information Commission(CIC) today directed the Cabinet Secretariat to submit for its inspection all the files relating to the appointment of Mr Shiv Shankar Menon as Foreign Secretary.

It also directed the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) to allow senior IFS officer Veena Seekri to inspect file No 52/2295/NGO under which the Annual Confidential Reports (ACR) were sent to the Cabinet Secretariat.

The Commission, which is seized of the petition of Ms Seekri seeking disclosure of file noting regarding the appointment, asked the Cabinet secretariat to send the files on May 17.

The 1971 batch IFS officer, who had filed an appeal with the CIC in March, had alleged that Mr Menon, a 1972 batch officer was appointed for the post superceding other officers senior to him.

Ms Seekri had also sought information on rules followed by the government in selection of foreign secretary and the process which led to in Menon's appointment ignoring senior officers.

The respondents had maintained that such disclosure would lead to ''unwarranted invasion to the privacy of individual IFS officers screened for the post of Foreign Secretary.'' The CIC, while directing the Cabinet secretariat to send the files for its perusal, said it wanted to see whether it was possible to disclose the information without causing any unwarranted invasion of the privacy of other individuals, an argument advanced by the Secretariat in deying the information to Ms Seekri.

UNI