February 19, 2008 11:45 IST
Rejecting the Prime Minister's Office's refusal to provide a list of classified files relating to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the Central Information Commission has asked it to make public a list of 29 such files.
The commission's decision came after the PMO produced before it 33 classified files on the revolutionary leader. It, however, exempted four related files as they had reference to foreign states.
Acting on an RTI application of 'Mission Netaji' -- a Delhi-based research trust -- challenging the PMO's refusal to make public its classified files on Netaji, the CIC had, in its order of January 25, asked the latter to produce in a sealed cover a list of classified files for its perusal.
The PMO while declining to produce the list of the classified files had earlier said that divulging their contents could affect India's sovereignty and relations with foreign nations.
Perusing through the files as produced by the PMO, Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah said while four of the 33 classified files had a reference to foreign nations, rest of the 29 files should be given.
In its order passed on Monday, the CIC also noted that out of the 29 files, seven were classified "top secret," three "confidential" while the rest were marked "secret."
Apart from the 33 files, the PMO also informed the commission about two recently de-classified files.
"Under the circumstances, the PMO will provide a list of the 29 remaining files in addition to the two recently de-classified files, and list their titles," Habibullah said while directing the PMO's Information Officer Amit Agrawal to provide the list within 10 days to Anuj Dhar, a Mission Netaji functionary.
Earlier, Dhar, in his Right to Information application, had asked for a list of classified and de-classified records on Netaji, as available with the PMO.
While the PMO replied that it had 11 de-classified files relating to Netaji, an exception was claimed for listing of its classified files.
It was also said that a process of declassification of its records was underway.
Dhar, who moved an appeal before the CIC, contended that while some of related PMO documents were classified, a nomenclature and description of the files were submitted before Justice Mukherjee Commission.
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