100 RTI pleas? Gujarat govt "evades" revealing Rs 1 lakh crore scam inquiry report, prepared in public interest

Suresh Mehta

By Our Representative
The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC), the state watchdog for right to information (RTI), has told the legal department of the Government of Gujarat must not lie, but admit, without mincing words, that a crucial report containing inquiry into 14 cases of corruption against the erstwhile Narendra Modi administration, is lying with it.
The order is based on a legal department government resolution (GR) dated August 16, 2011, which had, “in the public interest, people in Gujarat must know whether there is any substance in the allegations, particularly at the time when a strong public opinion is building across the country against corruption in public life.”
Modi set up the inquiry commission in August 2011 following Congress allegations, listing 14 corruption charges under Modi government, valuing above Rs 1 lakh crore, only to declare that “nothing has been found” against it. However, neither the administration under him, nor his successors, have made the report public.
The two-page closely-typed GIC order, signed by information commissioner RR Varsani, comes following the refusal of the legal department – prepared by Justice (retired) MB Shah – to admit that it had the report, allegedly to evade demands to make it public under RTI.
Seeking disclosure of the report under RTI for the last four years, former Gujarat chief minister Suresh Mehta, 80, told Counterview that he and his supporters must have made at least 100 RTI applications to get the MB Shah Commission report submitted to the Gujarat government in 2014.
“Let alone the report, for four long years they have even refused to reveal which department has got it”, Mehta said. It is well known that in 2012, a day after of the announcement of code of conduct for the December assembly polls, Cabinet spokesperson Jay Narayan Vyas told the media that the report had been “submitted” and there is no iota of truth in what the Congress had alleged.
“Ever since then, I tried to get the report, but I would get strange answers: The legal department would tell me the report is with the general administration department (GAD), while the GAD would tell me it was the property of the legal department”, he said.
He added, “Worse, speaking inside the assembly, then No 2 in the Cabinet, Anandiben Patel, had said the MB Shah commission report was with the governor, while an RTI plea with the Raj Bhawan said it didn't have it.”
Mehta made his last plea on October 29, 2014, when, again, the legal department said it “did not have” the report, forwarding the application to the GAD, which looks after personnel issues. In his appeal to the legal department's public authority on November 7, 2014, Mehta was again told that it didn't have the report, and that it is “lying with the GAD.”
This made the ex-chief minister approach the Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) on April 6, 2015. Nearly one-and-a-half years later, on September 6, 2016, the GIC called for a hearing on Mehta's application in the presence of the public information officer, legal department, who again repeated that the report was not with it.
The GIC order asked the legal department to just authenticate the matter “in 20 days”. Mehta told Counterview, “Even after 20 days, the legal department has not approached me to tell me that it has got the report.”
During the arguments at GIC, Mehta argued that it is “wrong to say the Shah Commission report belongs to the GAD” hence it could not give it. Referring to a GAD reply to the RTI application moved by a senior activist, Pankti Jog, dated November 6, 2012, which said that the Shah Commission report wuld have to be placed in the state assembly within six months after its “final report” is submitted, Mehta said, the final report was submitted on November 6, 2013.
While nearly three years have passed for the report to be placed in the assembly, Mehta said during the argument, as quoted by the GIC order dated September 9, 2016, that “there is no such provision in law that the report would be made public only after it is placed in the Gujarat state assembly.”

Comments

'Draconian' Kerala health law follows WHO diktat: Govt readies to take harsh measures

By Dr Maya Valecha* The Governor of Kerala has signed the Kerala Public Health Bill, which essentially reverses the people’s campaign in healthcare services in Kerala for decentralisation. The campaign had led to relinquishing of state powers in 1996, resulting in improvement of health parameters in Kerala. Instead, now, enforcement of law through the exercise of power, fines, etc., and the implementation of protocol during the pandemic, are considered of prime importance.

Reject WHO's 'draconian' amendments on pandemic: Citizens to Union Health Minister

By Our Representative Several concerned Indian citizens have written to the Union Health Minister to reject amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted during the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA75) in May 2022, apprehending this will make the signatories surrender their autonomy to the “unelected, unaccountable and the whimsical WHO in case of any future ‘pandemics’.”

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Savarkar in Ahmedabad 'declared' two-nation theory in 1937, Jinnah followed 3 years later

By Our Representative One of the top freedom fighters whom BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi revere the most, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, was also a great supporter of the two nation theory for India, one for Hindus another for Muslims, claims a new expose on the man who is also known to be the original proponent of the concept of Hindutva.

Bihar rural women entrepreneurs witness 50% surge in awareness about renewal energy

By Mignonne Dsouza* An endline survey conducted under the Bolega Bihar initiative revealed a significant increase in awareness of renewable energy among women, rising from 25% to 76% in Nalanda and Gaya. Renu Kumari, a 34-year-old entrepreneur from Nalanda, Bihar, operates a village eatery that serves as the primary source of income for her family, including her husband and five children. However, a significant portion of her profits was being directed toward covering monthly electricity expenses that usually reach Rs 2,000.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Work with Rajasthan's camel herders: German scientist wins World Cookbook Award 2023

By Rosamma Thomas* Gourmand World Cookbook Awards are the only awards for international food culture. This year, German scientist Ilse Kohler Rollefson , founder of Camel Charisma, the first of India’s camel dairies, in Pali district of Rajasthan, won the award for her work with camel herders in Rajasthan, and for preparing for the UN International Year of Camelids, 2024.

'Very low rung in quality ladder': Critique of ICMR study on 'sudden deaths' post-2021

By Bhaskaran Raman* Since about mid-2021, a new phenomenon of extreme concern has been observed throughout the world, including India : unexplained sudden deaths of seemingly healthy and active people, especially youngsters. In the recently concluded Navratri garba celebrations, an unprecedented number of young persons succumbed to heart attack deaths. After a long delay, ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) has finally has published a case-control study on sudden deaths among Indians of age 18-45.

Why is electricity tariff going up in India? Who is the beneficiary? A random reflection

By Thomas Franco* Union Ministry of Power has used its power under Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003 to force States to import coal which has led to an increase in the cost of electricity production and every consumer is paying a higher tariff. In India, almost everybody from farmers to MSMEs are consumers of electricity.

Union Health Ministry, FSSAI 'fail to respond' to NHRC directive on packaged food

By Our Representative The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed deep concern over the adverse health effects caused by packaged foods high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats. Recognizing it as a violation of the Right to Life and Right to Health of Indian citizens, the quasi-judicial body called for a response from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regarding its selection of front-of-pack labels aimed at providing consumers with information to make healthier choices.

Search This Blog