Now Reading: EC Denies RTI Request on CEC’s Official Travel Expenses
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EC Denies RTI Request on CEC’s Official Travel Expenses
The Election Commission denied a Right to Information request seeking details of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s official visits and public expenditure on them, citing “personal information” under Section 8(1)(j) of the…
The Election Commission denied a Right to Information request seeking details of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s official visits and public expenditure on them, citing “personal information” under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act. The reply was issued on July 31, according to a copy shared by former Rajya Sabha member Saket Gokhale.
Gokhale said he filed the request on June 18, seeking the number, dates, destinations, purpose and travel mode of Kumar’s domestic and foreign visits since he became CEC on February 19, 2025. He also sought details of accompanying officials and spending on travel, accommodation, daily allowance and local transport.
Gokhale and RTI activist Anjali Bharadwaj questioned the use of the privacy exemption for publicly funded travel and linked it to changes made through the Digital Personal Data Protection Act. The EC had not immediately responded to the allegations.
Indian Opinion Analysis
An RTI applicant can challenge such a denial through a first appeal within the public authority and, if needed, approach the Central Information Commission. The decision-maker can examine whether the requested material is genuinely personal, whether any sensitive portion can be removed, and whether disclosure serves a larger public interest. Official travel records may also contain security or logistical details that require redaction rather than a blanket refusal, depending on the documents and the authority’s reasoning. The next concrete signal will be the outcome of any appeal and whether it orders partial or full disclosure. A separate issue is whether the EC has published comparable expenditure information through its own transparency channels.
Source: freepressjournal.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
