The CIC has allowed partial disclosure of information related to Prime Minister's healthbut held that all details cannot be revealed on grounds of national security and privacy.
"The health and medical problems of present and former Prime Ministers, which already exist in the public domain due to extensive media coverage, like the recent cardiac surgery of the present Prime Minister, may be given," Information Commissioner Annapurna Dixit said on an RTI application.
However, citing reasons of national security, protection of individual's right to privacy and the fiduciary nature of information, the transparency watchdog was of the view thatrest of the information should be withheld.
The decision came a month after Chief nformation Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah rejected a similar plea seeking details of ailments of present and former Prime Ministers.
Exercising his Right to Information, petitioner Ashwini Shrivastava had asked the PMO to give details of health and medical problems of present and former Prime Ministers along with details of expenditure on their treatment .
In his order, Habibullah had directed that details of expenses incurred during the treatment be given since they are made from public exchequer, but the present order by Dixit is silent on the issue.
The PMO had transferred the RTI application to the Department of Health and Family Welfare under the Ministry of Health, which refused the information saying the medical carescheme for Prime Minister is a "classified document".
