Central Information Commission

The Income Tax Department has now decided to provide full details of tax returns of political parties under the RTI Act after the Central Information Commission (CIC) issued it directives in this regard. The department, according to sources, used to restrict such information, citing section 138 of the Income Tax Act, which allowed denial of such information under RTI Act as 'disclosure of information respecting assessees.' Full Article

The Income Tax returns of individuals do not enjoy "absolute ban" from disclosure, the Central Information Commission has held while directing the Income Tax department to provide details of the total income of a person to his son-in-law who is facing a dowry case. Full Article

SEBI has challenged in the Bombay High Court an order of the Central Information Commission to make public action taken by it on a complaint against Reliance Industries Ltd in the year 2000 on the sale of 12 crore shares for the benefit of its promot Full Article

The Central Information Commission has issued summons to Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games, asking it to submit all documents related to alleged discrepancies in the ticketing, Queen’s Baton Relay and the conduct of the Games.The transp Full Article

Property statements filed by civil servants are not confidential information and can be disclosed after taking the views of concerned officials as per the provisions of the RTI Act, the Central Information Commission has held. Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah rejected the plea of Department of Personnel and Training that these records were held "in confidence" by the government and are hence exempted from disclosure. Full Article

“Information is power. This is truer now, in this information age, than ever before. In a democracy this power of information which the public authorities possess is to be shared with the people. But at the same time, not every piece of information is to be made public. There is the public interest and democratic purpose in dissemination of information on the one hand and the competing private rights and national interests in general non-disclosure, on the other.” Full Article

Central Information Commission (CIC) has opined that non-disclosure of feedback on probe in tax evasion complaints filed by whistle-blowers will dissuade them from giving any future information. Acknowledging that the investigation wing of the income tax department was exempted from the purview of RTI act, the CIC said such blanket ban would "dis-enthuse" whistle-blowers which may not be in the "best interest of state revenues". Full Article