Put Meira's bungalow info on web: CIC

RTI activist Subhash Agrawal had sought information

PTI | May 8, 2012



The central information commission on Tuesday directed the urban development ministry to disclose information related to allotment, occupation and use of a government bungalow by family members of late Indrani Devi including her daughter and lok sabha speaker Meira Kumar.

The transparency watchdog has also asked the ministry to put all information related to the bungalow, located at 6, Krishna Menon Marg, on its website, possibly within two months.

The direction came while the commission was hearing an appeal filed by RTI activist Subhash Agrawal.

Agarwal had sought details, including file notings and correspondences between different government ministries related to allotment, and use of the said bungalow.

A query under the transparency act filed by Agrawal had in November last year found that a bill of Rs 1.98 crore was was due as pending rent from Kumar for occupation of the said premises since 1986 after the demise of her father late Jagjivan Ram.

The appellant has pleaded before the commission that he had been receiving often contradictory response or information from various authorities concerned regarding the bungalow and its use.

"He showed us several replies received from the directorate of the estates, Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and others which, instead of throwing clear light on the issues, confused the entire matter.

"For the sake of transparency, it is extremely important that all the information relating to the allotment, occupation and use of this bungalow should be brought out in the public domain," chief information commissioner Satyananda Mishra said in his order asking the ministry to give the appellant detailed information within 20 days.

Mishra also asked the ministry to place all the relevant records in its website for the citizens so as to enable them to access the information freely.

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