India’s Central Information Commission (CIC) has supported the release of information about whistleblowers’ allegations,
The decision came in a case in which Venkatesh Nayak of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative asked the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) for details of complaints against government servants received under the Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Informers (PIDPI) Resolution, also known as whistleblowers resolution.
The CVC had cited privacy concerns in its denial and said redaction would be too costly, according to an article in The Times of India.
“The information sought by the appellant may be available in the individual files of the Commission and culling and compiling from all the files pertaining to PIDPI complaints would involve deployment of additional manpower and would disproportionately divert the limited resources,” the CVC said.
Overruling, the CIC ordered disclosure.
CVC received 698, 804 and 901 complaints under the PIDPI Resolution during 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
Nayak argued that the public should be able to learn why CVC takes not action on most of the complaints.
The identity of whistleblowers is protected by the Whistleblowers Protection Act.
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