New Delhi, December 12
Elected representatives including MPs, MLAs and local bodies members are not covered under the Right to Information Act in ‘individual’ capacity, the Central Information Commission has ruled. It clarified that information regarding their activities can be accessed from bodies of which they are a part, 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 organisations and committees in which they fulfill their obligations under the constitution are indeed organisations defined as public authorities,” while hearing several pleas clubbed together in the matter.

The applicants had asked for information regarding work done by different elected representatives, including Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. "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. — PTI