SC rejects DMRC appeal against info sought through RTI

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's (DMRC) appeal challenging Delhi High Court verdict that directed it to make public information on its structural drawings under Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's (DMRC) appeal challenging Delhi High Court verdict that directed it to make public information on its structural drawings under Right to Information (RTI) Act.

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A bench found no merit in DMRC's plea and upheld the 2011 HC judgment that held there was no threat to national security in revealing information on the corporation's structural drawings.

The HC had given its verdict upholding Central Information Commission's (CIC) ruling directing DMRC to disclose information on its structural drawing.

The CIC order came on Delhi-based Sudhir Vora's application that was filed after DMRC refused to reveal the information under the RTI Act.

Vora had sought the information following the July 2009 collapse of a Metro corridor pillar at Zamrudpur in South Delhi. The incident had left six persons dead.

The architect had filed the application asking DMRC to give him all structural drawings of both the pile foundation and the superstructure, including all steel reinforcement details, foundation details, engineering calculations and soil tests pertaining to the cantilevered bracket of Metro Pillar No 67 that had collapsed.

The DMRC had said it was not only for security reasons but also commercial considerations that the information cannot be made public as there was always a fear that it may go into the wrong hands.