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'Reveal file notings on Kalam's letter on Padma awards'
Central Information Commission (CIC) Wednesday directed the
President's Secretariat to give 'file notings' related to a letter
former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam wrote in 2004 expressing
displeasure over some persons listed for Padma awards.
The commission asked the President's Office to delete all references
to individuals and discussion of their merits and demerits from the
notings.
In 2004, Kalam had written a 'secret' note to the then prime minister
A.B. Vajpayee expressing displeasure over some persons listed for the
Padma awards.
Right to Information (RTI) activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal had asked
for a copy of the "complete file notings made at Rashtrapati Bhavan"
on the subject.
Interestingly, a copy of that "secret note" has already been provided
by the President's Secretariat to Agrawal in response to another RTI
petition.
"We have found that in the discussion the merit of conferring award on
various individuals has been discussed in some detail. Disclosure of
such information would assuredly amount to invasion of privacy…,"
noted Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah in his order.
"….The CPIO F.A. Kidwai will provide to appellant S.C. Agrawal copy of
file notings ….. of the impugned file, deleting therefrom all
references to individuals and discussion of their merits and
demerits," he directed.
Another Information Commissioner at the CIC, Satyananda Mishra in a
recent verdict said: "With the advent of the RTI and increasing
scrutiny of the governmental decisions in its wake, it is likely that
the process of deciding these (Padma) awards will be questioned by the
citizens more and more in future. Therefore, the authorities must
strive to lay down, as far as possible, transparent criteria for these
nominations and make the selection process more objective."
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