Make public records of Polavaram project: Central Information Commission

NEW DELHI: The Central Information Commission has directed the Environment Ministry to place on its web site the records related to Rs 16,000-crore Polavaram dam project after the ministry told an RTI applicant that it was difficult to trace the documents as they were over a decade old.

Suresh Kumar, an environment scientist, has sought from the Ministry the details of Impact Assessment of the controversial project in Andhra Pradesh but he was informed that the records being a decade old are difficult to be located.

Kumar complained that the official web site of the Ministry does not have information as required by Section 4 (1)(b) of the RTI Act in the same manner as it was provided for other projects, prompting him to file the RTI plea.

A Ministry official, however, countered the allegations saying while most of the information about the project has been provided on the web site, some documents need to be digitised and posted on the portal.

He said delay in furnishing information was because of exigencies related to various projects, court cases before the Supreme Court, National Green Tribunal, and High Court besides Parliament related works.

"The Commission agreed with the contentions of the appellant that the 'failure to trace records' would not exempt the public authority from their duty to provide the information sought," Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said in the first ever order also issued in Telugu.

The Information Commissioner directed the Ministry to place all available information on Polavaram project on their official web site.

"The Commission also directs the PIO to furnish copies of environmental clearance given at first instance, and also when the issue of environmental clearance was revisited for Indira Sagar Polavaram project in West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, file notings and correspondences along with minutes of meetings...," he said.

The multi-purpose dam and irrigation project has been accorded national project status by the Centre. The project has attracted controversy after neighbouring states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh raised the issue of submerged land in their states.