CIC Orders Reassessment of Lok Sabha Secretariat's Information Denial

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has instructed the Lok Sabha Secretariat to re-evaluate its refusal to disclose procurement bills, worth Rs 1.7 crore, for electronic items. The order follows an RTI request and highlights the need for transparency while balancing competitive confidentiality. Non-compliance may result in penal action.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Lok Sabha Secretariat to reconsider its earlier decision of denying the release of procurement bills amounting to Rs 1.7 crore for electronic items acquired during 2021-22. The decision comes after feedback was collected from third-party vendors under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

This action follows an RTI application requesting comprehensive details of the expenditure, including copies of invoices and information about older gadgets. Although the secretariat confirmed spending Rs 1,70,06,897 on computer hardware and peripherals, it refused to share the invoices, citing potential harm to competitive positions of third-party vendors.

Chief Information Commissioner Raj Kumar Goyal remarked that the reasoning for denial was not well justified and urged the secretariat to provide a revised response. The commission warned that failure to comply could lead to penalties, emphasizing the importance of balancing transparency with confidentiality, as highlighted in a related Delhi High Court judgment.