High Court Restricts CIC's Jurisdiction Over MPLADS Funds

The Delhi High Court ruled that the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) has no jurisdiction to comment on the utilization of MPLADS funds by Members of Parliament. The court expunged remarks made by the CIC regarding MPs' usage of funds but upheld its direction to disclose detailed information about the funds.

The Delhi High Court has declared that the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) lacks jurisdiction to comment on how Members of Parliament use MPLADS funds. The ruling clarified that the RTI Act is limited to providing access to information controlled by public authorities.

The court expunged the CIC's remarks about MPs allegedly accumulating funds for electoral advantage but honored the direction to furnish MP-wise, constituency-wise, and work-wise fund details.

This decision came in response to a challenge by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, arguing that the CIC exceeded its authority by commenting on MPs' actions. The court stressed that the CIC's role is confined to information dissemination under the RTI Act.