CIC to decide on House privilege

The Central Information Commission will soon decide on a key issue of parliamentary privilege whether the evidence presented before parliamentary or legislative committees can be revealed under the RTI act.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) will soon decide on a key issue of parliamentary privilege whether the evidence presented before parliamentary or legislative committees can be revealed under the Right to Information Act.

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The commission has issued notices to the Lok Sabha secretary general, Comptroller and Auditor General of India and Deputy Accountant General, Goa, on a petition filed by Goa’s Leader of Opposition Manohar Parriker. Parriker was denied information by the Accountant General, Goa, on the ground that it would amount to breach of parliamentary privilege.

The commission has decided to conduct a full bench hearing on August 1 after all respondents pleaded that evidence produced before the committees of Parliament and state legislatures were confidential and should be prohibited from disclosure under the RTI Act. If such information is revealed, it would amount to contempt of Parliament being violative of its privilege, the respondents had said. The commission wants to make it clear that what actually amounts to privileges of the House for disclosure of information under Right to Information Act.