No disclosure of names of donors to PM's relief fund: Court

New Delhi - The Delhi High Court Friday set aside a Central Information Commission (CIC) order for disclosing the names of institutional donors to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher also issued notice to Aseem Takyar, who through a Right to Information query, sought details of the donors and beneficiaries related to the fund between 2009-11.

The court would next hear the case Dec 10.

Appearing for the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Additional Solicitor General (ASG) A.S. Chandhiok said that the relief fund did not receive any donation from the government and the details about the donors and recipients had always been maintained as personal and private information and not even disclosed to parliament.

The CIC grossly overlooked the fact that the fund was private, composed of voluntary donations and not a business of the government, the ASG said.

"The fund has not been established or constituted by or under the constitution, by any other law made by parliament, by any other law made by state legislature, or through notification or order made by the appropriate government," the petition filed by the PMO stated.

Before the CIC, Takyar argued that in the interest of transparency these details should be made public.

"The commission failed to consider that the disbursement out of the fund is made at the sole discretion of the prime minister and in accordance with the direction," the petition said.

The PMO through the petition challenged the order passed by the CIC June 6 and demanded the court to quash the impugned order.

The CIC in its order said: "In our view unless the donor has desired his donation to be kept confidential and secret, disclosure of the list of donors periodically may be a good idea. At least, the names of institutional donors should surely be published. We cannot say the same thing about the recipients and beneficiaries though."