Info on ceasefire violations, infiltration cannot be given: CIC
Information related to ceasefire violations along the LoC and infiltrations from Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir cannot be disclosed as it may adversely affect India's relation with other countries, the Central Information Commission has held.
The transparency panel agreed with the contention of Central Public Information Officer of the army and held that disclosure of the information may also have adverse effect on the strategic and security interests of the country.
The Commission, however, allowed the RTI applicant to peruse the documents pertaining to the information from the army but directed the respondent not to provide copy of them.
Exercising his right to information, the applicant had in 2011 asked the army to provide details of infiltrations or infiltration attempts from the Indo-Pakistan border and the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Army CPIO, who was also asked to give details of ceasefire violations and casualty of security force personnel, had declined to share the information citing an exemption clause of the transparency law.
Aggrieved over the response from the CPIO and First Appellate Authority, the applicant had approached the Commission.
In its first hearing held last August, the Commission asked the Army CPIO to collect and collate information for two calender years (i.e. 2009-10 and 2010-11) so that its
disclosure, partial or full, could be decided.
"I do not agree with the view taken by the CPIO and Appellate Authority. Some part of requested information keeps on appearing in the mass media from time to time and, therefore, it cannot be
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