Information provided under RTI Act can't be denied to MLAs: Delhi Assembly

A three member committee formed by Delhi Assembly said that information provided under RTI Act can not be denied to the legislators, sources said

A three member committee formed by Delhi Assembly to look into refusal of Services Department to reply questions asked by the MLAs has submitted its report stating that information provided under RTI Act can not be denied to the legislators, sources said on Saturday.

The committee, formed by the order of Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla during Assembly session last week, also observed that Services that like other departments of Delhi government should be accountable to the Delhi Assembly, the sources said.

The committee is learnt to have recommended that Government of NCT of Delhi should take appropriate steps to ensure that the replies to the questions raised by Members in the Assembly are duly answered by the Services Department.

It also has recommends that in cases of non-receipt of replies the concerned secretaries and heads of departments be personally held liable and responsible and proceeded against by the Assembly.

The three member committee included AAP MLAs Rajesh Gupta, Atishi and Somnath Bharti, in its report pointed that the Delhi MLAs raised 347 starred and unstarred questions in the House related to the Services Department.

The members asked 321 questions till 2018, which were largely replied to, 26 questions raised 2019 onwards were refused replies by Services Department citing the queries to be under the 'reserved' list of the Centre.

The Services Department controlled by Lt Governor, after an order issued by the Centre in 2018 had stopped answering questions if MLAs asked in the Assembly, the report said as per the sources.

The Committee reported that "given the expenditure and salaries of the departments are drawn from the budget passed by the Legislative Assembly, the department (Services) should maintain accountability to the House".

It also held "non-responsiveness" of the Services Department as an

"unconstitutional act" and an act against public interest, sources said.

The report also said that the then additional chief secretary (home) BS Bhalla had deposed to the Committee of Privileges in September 2021 that any information which can be furnished under the RTI Act should also be furnished to the MLAs.