Delhi HC moved over disclosure of institutional donors to PM’s National Relief Fund
A single-judge order had allowed disclosure of the names of institutional donors to the fund
New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Friday issued notice to Right to Information (RTI) activist Aseem Takyar on an appeal brought by the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) against a single-judge order that allowed disclosure of the names of institutional donors to the fund.
A bench comprising chief justice G Rohini and justice Jayant Nath sought a reply on the appeal seeking quashing of the single judge’s order allowing for disclosure of donations made by institutions to the fund.
Senior Advocate Jasmeet Singh, counsel for the Centre (Prime Minister’s office) contended that such information was private and must be kept confidential.
On 19 November, 2015, Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw dismissed a petition seeking the quashing of an order passed by the Central Information Commission (CIC), which had allowed the disclosure and publishing of names of institutional donors to the fund from time to time.
“In our view, unless the donor has desired his donation to be kept a confidential and secret, disclosure of the list of donors periodically may be a good idea. At least, the names of institutional donors should surely be published." the CIC said in its order of 6 June, 2015.
The CIC’s order came in response to an RTI application filed by Takyar which sought details of the donors to and beneficiaries of the PM’s Relief Fund between 2009 and 2011.
The court will hear the matter next on 9 May.
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