CIC summons chief secretary on destruction of files
29 Dec 2013 5:29 AM IST
Taking cognisance of reports on destruction of files by officials, CIC on Friday issued summons to Delhi chief secretary to present their inquiry report into the alleged incident before it and barred destruction of any record held by any GNCT department till further orders.
Information commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu also directed the chief secretary DM Spolia to initiate criminal action against officials, who were found to be involved in the destructions of records which is a ‘serious crime’ under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code. Next hearing has been slated by CIC on 15 January, 2014.
In an out of turn hearing of the complaint filed by activists Maja Daruwala and Venkatesh Nayak, the panel issued a stern warning to chief secretary to alert vigilance and other officers to take all preventive steps to protect the records from destruction. ‘If respondent public authority comes to notice of any such destruction as apprehended, he may initiate necessary criminal action against concerned person as destruction of records might amount to serious crime by itself under IPC or any other law,’ Acharyulu directed the chief secretary.
He said the complaint discloses reasonable apprehension of commission of cognisable offence which if not prevented, would cause serious consequence to administration of criminal justice.
Underlining that it could not wait for giving chance to the chief secretary to explain his position because of urgency of the issue, he said it is ‘proper and necessary’ to issue ‘ad interim direction’ to take steps to prevent destruction and secure public records.
File burning proof of corruption in govt: Kejriwal
Ghaziabad: In wake of a sting operation by a news channel which purportedly shows files being destroyed at the Delhi Secretariat, chief minister-designate Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the matter reflected large-scale corruption in certain departments even as he asked the chief secretary to take care of important documents. ‘This (the sting) shows there is large-scale corruption in these departments and officials who are seeking transfer are understood to have been involved in it,’ the AAP leader told reporters. In the sting operation, a private news channel showed some files being torn up at the Secretariat, which houses the offices of all Delhi ministers, including the chief minister, besides other departments. Kejriwal said it was the chief secretary’s responsibility to take care of all the files before a new government took charge.
Information commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu also directed the chief secretary DM Spolia to initiate criminal action against officials, who were found to be involved in the destructions of records which is a ‘serious crime’ under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code. Next hearing has been slated by CIC on 15 January, 2014.
In an out of turn hearing of the complaint filed by activists Maja Daruwala and Venkatesh Nayak, the panel issued a stern warning to chief secretary to alert vigilance and other officers to take all preventive steps to protect the records from destruction. ‘If respondent public authority comes to notice of any such destruction as apprehended, he may initiate necessary criminal action against concerned person as destruction of records might amount to serious crime by itself under IPC or any other law,’ Acharyulu directed the chief secretary.
He said the complaint discloses reasonable apprehension of commission of cognisable offence which if not prevented, would cause serious consequence to administration of criminal justice.
Underlining that it could not wait for giving chance to the chief secretary to explain his position because of urgency of the issue, he said it is ‘proper and necessary’ to issue ‘ad interim direction’ to take steps to prevent destruction and secure public records.
File burning proof of corruption in govt: Kejriwal
Ghaziabad: In wake of a sting operation by a news channel which purportedly shows files being destroyed at the Delhi Secretariat, chief minister-designate Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the matter reflected large-scale corruption in certain departments even as he asked the chief secretary to take care of important documents. ‘This (the sting) shows there is large-scale corruption in these departments and officials who are seeking transfer are understood to have been involved in it,’ the AAP leader told reporters. In the sting operation, a private news channel showed some files being torn up at the Secretariat, which houses the offices of all Delhi ministers, including the chief minister, besides other departments. Kejriwal said it was the chief secretary’s responsibility to take care of all the files before a new government took charge.
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