RTI info on salary of Cabinet ministers, advisers refused

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 13

The Public Information Officer-cum-Superintendent concerned of the Punjab Civil Secretariat has refused to share information regarding the salary of Cabinet Ministers and advisers, besides OSDs to the Chief Minister under the RTI Act.

A Ludhiana-based activist, Kuldeep Singh Khaira, had filed an RTI application in November last year, requesting the PIO to provide a list of Council of Ministers, advisers & OSDs to Chief Minister along with details of their salary (Including perks/allowances) paid in October, 2019, and detail of facilities availed by them.

Responding to the RTI application, the PIO of the branch concerned stated that it was being clarified that similar information was sought by another applicant in another case and this branch then via its letter dated May 18, 2018, had sought approval or disapproval to share information of third party (regarding salary) to that applicant. In this regard, the CM and other ministers had disagreed to share their salary details, the PIO stated.

The PIO further stated that while responding to another letter dated January 29, 2018, the adviser to CM and OSDs had also disagreed to share their salary information. Thus, this information can’t be given to the applicant, the PIO stated.

Khaira said he had sought information about the ministers, advisers or OSDs, who had provided details of their property to the government and those who hadn’t. He had also demanded a legible copy of the detail of income tax paid by the state government on the salary and pension of the members of the Vidhan Sabha in last two assessment years (2017-18 and 2018-19).

Akali leader Sharanjit Singh Dhillon said, “If the information related to salaries of the ministers is disclosed, there is nothing wrong. I don’t know if they have made any rule for not disclosing the details.”