New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS) The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Delhi government to reveal how a decision was taken to engage operators to run laptops of Delhi legislators at a monthly payment of Rs.10,000.
The CIC direction came on an appeal filed by an RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal who had filed a Right to Information (RTI) application with the Delhi government seeking details of the decision taken by it to provide staff to MLAs of the national capital for operating their laptops.

“The competent authority has decided to enhance the facility regarding reimbursement of Rs.10,000 per month to all the Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA), Delhi Vidhan Sabha (irrespective of their being ministers) on account of expenditure met by them on engagement of data entry operator for operating laptops given to them,” the reply by the government said.

The department, however, did not reply to Agrawal’s query regarding the mode of recruiting such laptop operators.

“As Delhi assembly secretariat is looking after allowances and all other matters of MLAs, the scheme is to be implemented by the Delhi legislative assembly secretariat out of its budgetary allocation,” the reply added.

Not satisfied with the reply, Agrawal filed an appeal with the CIC.

“The PIO (Public Information Officer) is directed to give the copy of the order by which the decision to given Rs.10,000 to each MLA has been taken. All the correspondence and file notings related to this order will be given,” directed central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi in his order.

Gandhi directed the government to give the information before Oct 30.