Elected representatives not covered under RTI Act

 Elected representatives including MPs, MLAs and local bodies members are not covered under the Right to Information Act in 'individual'capacity, Central Information Commission has ruled. The Commission, however, has clarified that information regarding their activities can be accessed from bodies to which they are part of like Parliament, state legislative assembly or local bodies. A division bench of the Commission comprising Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah and Shailesh Gandhi said, "we must conclude that individuals whether MPs, MLAs, Councillors or members of Panchayats cannot in themselves be deemed public authorities. Nevertheless, the organizations and Committees in which they fulfil their obligations under the Constitution are indeed organizations defined as public authorities," the bench held while hearing several pleas that were clubbed together in the matter. The applicants had asked for information regarding work done by different elected representatives including Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi but did not any details from them. "Such information on activities as are performed by these named representatives as members of such organisations is, therefore, to be deemed accessible to the citizenry...It will, therefore, be necessary for such organisations to develop systems for making such information accessible," the Bench said.