The Hindu Business Line : Tata, Essar Steel MoUs out of right to information's ambit

RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government has declined to make public the memoranda of understanding (MoUs), which it had signed with Tata Steel and Essar Steel for setting up steel plants at an estimated cost of Rs 16,000 crore in tribal Bastar district.

The State Commerce and Industry Deputy Secretary, Mr Shankar Rao Brahmane, refused to disclose contents of these MoUs to Mr Shankar Mede, who had sought the details under the provisions of the right to information Act 2005.

In his letter, the deputy secretary pointed out that both the MoUs had a provision, which stipulated that no details contained in the MoUs could be disclosed to any 'third party' without the consent of the signatories. "Hence, it is difficult to make ava ilable the copies of these MoUs," he added.

When contacted, the Minister of State for Industries, Mr Rajesh Munat, said, "It is a Government document. It is up to the Government to decide whether to keep it secret or to make it public."

"I don't think that there is anything wrong in making a provision in the MoU itself that its details would not be disclosed to a third party without the consent of the parties concerned," he said.

However, the former Chief Minister, Mr Ajit Jogi said that the State government cannot include such a clause in any matters other than those related to national security. Such a provision in the MoU, which relates to investment, would only help create su spicion, he said adding that it was also against the sprit of the Right to Information Act. - UNI

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