The Central Information Commission (CIC) has sought details about allegations of corruption against ministers sent to PMO. The CIC has directed the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to disclose complaints of corruption received against Union Ministers between 2014 and 2017 and the action taken on them.

CIC Radha Krishna Mathur, while considering a plea of whistle-blower IFS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, directed the PMO to share information on the quantum and value of black money brought back from abroad during the tenure of the BJP-led government at the Centre, along with records of efforts made in this direction. The order asked the PMO to disclose information related to deposits made by the government in bank accounts of Indian citizens from the black money brought from abroad.

The PMO had termed the questions asked by Chaturvedi, in his RTI application related to black money, as not covered in the definition of “information” that can be accessed under the Right to Information Act, but Mathur rejected the contention.

“The commission further observed that the respondent has not given correct and specific reply/information to the appellant on point numbers 1(b) (corruption complaints against ministers), 4, 5, 12 & 13 (related to corruption in AIIMS) of the RTI application,” CIC Mathur noted.