Make public Vahanvati's advice to Raja: CIC

Information sought by S C Agrawal under the transparency law was earlier refused by the department of legal affairs

PTI | November 14, 2011



Central information commission on Monday directed the telecom ministry to make public advice tendered by the then solicitor general Goolam E Vahanvati to A Raja, who was the telecom minister, on 2G spectrum issues in 2007.

The information sought by S C Agrawal under the transparency law was refused by the department of legal affairs citing exemption clause of "fiduciary relationship" under the right to information act.

During the hearing, the department cited a previous order and claimed that since the information was given to telecom department, they will be in the best position to disclose the advise given by Vahanvati.

Agreeing with the view, information commissioner Sushma Singh directed the law ministry to transfer the application to telecom department and also directed the latter to make public the advice once the application is received by them.

Raja had allegedly cited the discussion with Vahanvati to press his point before the prime minister to go ahead with spectrum allocation as against the advice of the prime minister asking him to wait for some days before taking any action on the issue.

Raja, on December 26, 2007, had written to the prime minister saying, "I have already consulted the external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee and solicitor general of India G E Vahanvati and they have advised me that as a preemptive and proactive measure, I can go ahead with the allocation of 2G spectrum space immediately."

Raja, who has been arrested by the CBI in connection with the 2G spectrum scam, had written the letter in response to prime minister's communique to him asking him to wait for some days before taking any action on spectrum allocation.

Comments

 

Other News

Cabinet approves scheme of chemical parks

The union cabinet chaired by the PM has approved Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana Rasayan or BHAVYA - Rasayan Scheme for establishing three dedicated Chemical Parks in the country. The Scheme was announced in the Union Budget of FY 2026–27.   The Scheme will have a total financ

Anurag Jain, IAS appointed as Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog

 Anurag Jain, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog for a two-year term after serving as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh. A distinguished administrator with extensive experience in infrastructure, industrial de

Shri Ashok Barnwal, IAS has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh

 Ashok Barnwal, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, succeeding Anurag Jain following his appointment as CEO of NITI Aayog. Prior to assuming the state`s top bureaucratic position, Barnwal served as Additional Chief Secretar

PM announces fast-track courts for paper leak cases

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stated that the government has decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks. Emphasising that nothing is more important than the welfare and future of the youth, he noted that h

Making India’s textile & apparel sector sustainable

India’s textile and apparel sector sits at the heart of the economy but is constrained by traditional manufacturing approach. It contributes close to 2% of GDP and around 11% of manufacturing gross value added, with GDP share expected to reach 5% by the end of the decade. The sector employs around 45

Caring for cancer patients: the expanded network of facilities

Health is a State subject, and the primary responsibility for providing healthcare services, including cancer care, rests with the respective state governments. However, the Department of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial support to States and Union Territories across the country

Upcoming Conferences





Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter