Disclose Indian Airlines CMD letter against Praful Patel: CIC

NEW DELHI: Notwithstanding objections from Civil Aviation Ministry, the Central Information Commission has ordered the Cabinet Secretariat to make public a complaint given by ex-CMD of Indian Airlines Sunil Arora against former Minister Praful Patel.

Earlier, similar instructions were given by Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra to the Central Vigilance Commission to make public action taken on the complaint given by Arora.

In the latest order to Cabinet Secretariat, Mishra has pulled up Civil Aviation Ministry for creating a "self generated" impasse and using "diversionary tactic" to block the information on the complaint against its the then Minister Patel.

The case relates to a May, 2005 letter of Arora to the then Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi purportedly highlighting alleged "grave irregularities" that took place during Patel's tenure.

Activist Subhash Agrawal had sought from the Cabinet Secretariat a copy of the letter given by Arora to Chaturvedi and copies of correspondence exchanged on the subject.

Considering it as a third party information (letter written by another person), it was decided at the Cabinet Secretariat to take views of Arora and Civil Aviation Ministry before making the contents public.

While Arora did not oppose the disclosure, the Ministry raised objections on making the contents public saying issues raised in the letter written by Arora form part of some report of the Comptroller and Auditor General which is currently under consideration of the Public Accounts Committee.

"This is a diversionary tactic. The Ministry has not taken pains to explain or specify which exact information, sought by the appellant, form part of the CAG report under the consideration of the PAC," Mishra said, slamming the Ministry.