Delhi HC rejects Center's plea on cabinet papers

New Delhi, Dec 4: The government's plea to keep cabinet papers out of RTI Act has been rejected by the Delhi High Court.

The bench headed by justice Sanjiv Khanna announced that prohibition on disclosure of cabinet papers can be made only for a limited period i.e until the cabinet arrives at a decision.

"A limited prohibition for a specified time is granted (under the Act). Prohibition is not for an unlimited duration or infinite period but lasts till a decision is taken by the Council of Ministers and the matter is complete or over," the court said.

The court's judgement came in the wake of the center's appeal that the cabinet papers containing the deliberations of ministers should not be disclosed under the RTI Act.

Earlier, CIC had directed the government to disclose not only the cabinet decisions but also the cabinet papers which contain deliberation of council of ministers, secretaries and other officers.

OneIndia News