Disclose HUDCO scam report: CIC

The Right to Information Act may help to unveil the mystery behind the Central Vigilance Commission proposing and the CBI disposing in the Rs1,300-crore HUDCO scam.

The Right to Information Act may help to unveil the mystery behind the Central Vigilance Commission proposing and the CBI disposing in the Rs1,300-crore HUDCO scam.

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The Central Information Commission this week directed the CBI to provide the inquiry report on closing investigation in four cases where the CVC found "adequate evidence of paying bribes" to mobilise funds from Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) in 2006.

The CBI had closed the case saying there was not enough evidence to proceed with the probe. This had resulted in the housing and urban development ministry submitting a closure report in Supreme Court in 2007. The corporation had invested Rs950 crore in West Bengal Infrastructure Development Finance, Rs200 crore in Himachal Pradesh

Infrastructure Development Board and Rs150 crore in Vidharbha Irrigation Development Corporation. There were allegations that money was paid to get these funds from HUDCO.

“It appears that CVC found clear evidence showing bribes were taken. However, the CBI and the (Housing and Urban Development) ministry have come to the conclusion there is no wrong doing. If corruption is to be curtailed.... citizens need to get information of this nature," Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said.

Gandhi said the information officer had wrongly applied the exemption clauses and said "mere fears without any justification" could not be grounds for denying the citizen's fundamental right. The commission also said the Kumar had failed to justify the reasons for denying information as stipulated under the RTI Act.