SC issues notices to UP Info Comm under RTI

New Delhi, Oct 20 (UNI) The Supreme Court today issued notices to Uttar Pradesh State Information Commission, with others, regarding dissemination of information on Chief Minister's discretionary quota under the Right to Information Act.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam issued notices after hearing counsel for the petitioner Akhilesh Pratap Singh, UP Government's chief spokesperson, who has challenged the Allahabad High Court order on the ground that such direction amounted to invasion of once privacy.

Mr Singh had filed a petition challenging High Court order dated July one directing the government to provide information regarding the beneficiaries of Chief Minister's discretionary quota under the Right to Information Act.

Notices were also issued to Chief Information Commissioner and Public Information Officer in Chief Minister's office.

Mr Singh has challenged the High Court order contending that since no public money was involved as far as Chief Minister's discretionary quota was concerned and so, the government was not liable or bound to supply the information.

Mr Singh has also pleaded that RTI covers only the expenditure of public money or in the case of allegations of corruption against a public servant, but in the present case, no such allegations have been made and the distribution of benefits from the discretionary quota was the exclusive prerogative of the state Chief Minister and no information could be divulged under RTI to anybody.

The Chief Justice, however, remarked, ''if someone is asking for information regarding the distribution of benefits from the CM's discretionary quota, then what is the harm in giving the information under RTI.'' UNI SC GL RP BD2005