Top Officer of the Har. Taxation Department involves C.M. before HC in the alleged attempt to sabotage the VAT Scam Inquiry: Petitioner files RTI to know truth.

In the Petition before High Court seeking CBI Investigation into the VAT Scam of more than 10,000/- the SIT Report of I.G. Shrikant Jadhav attached with the petition mentions that ‘Sh. Roshan Lal I.A.S, Additional Chief Secretary of the Taxation Department had attempted to sabotage the enquiry by requesting the Lokayukta to restrict the scope of enquiry only to the Kaithal District.’

However, the Secretary of the Haryana Taxation Department have filed reply before the HC to the effect that, “...It is vehemently denied that the Additional Chief Secretary (Sh. Roshan Lal I.A.S) had tried to sabotage the inquiry in any manner. It is further submitted that letter dated 08.12.2014 was written by the ACS (ET) to the Lokayukta after discussing the matter on 07.12.2014 with the Honourable Chief Minister” The HC has fixed the matter for arguments on 13.07.2016.

However, the Petitioner Raghbir Singh has filed an RTI Application with the offices of C.M. and Taxation Department seeking details of discussion between ACS(ET) and C.M., by alleging that ‘the Petitioner in the aforesaid CWP highly doubt the truthfulness of the written statement, as it baffles the common sense that the Chief Minister, being a Constitutional Authority, will ever try to sabotage or restrict the scope of the enquiry.’ The Petitioner has requested to provide information before the date of hearing on 13.07.2016, so that the HC can be apprised of true facts.

SEE THE ORIGINAL RTI APPLICATION

            Dated: 02/06/2016

THROUGH SPEED POST

Form – A

(Under Haryana Right to Information Rules)

To

The State Public Information Officer,

                            O/o Chief Minister, Haryana

Govt. Haryana, Chandigarh.

I.    Name of the applicant: RAGHBIR SINGH S/O JAI KARAN

II.  Address: H.NO. 466/11, ADARSH NAGAR, KAITHAL (HARYANA)

PARTICULARS OF INFORMATION REQUIRED:

III.       Subject matter of information: INFORMATION IN REFERENCE TO LETTER DATED: 08.12.2014 WRITTEN BY ACS (ET) TO THE LOKAYUKTA AFTER DISCUSSING THE MATTER ON 07.12.2014 WITH CHIEF-MINISTER.

Ref.: Written Statement of Shyamlal Misra, Secretary to Govt. Haryana, Excise & Taxation Department in CWP No. 6856 of 2016.

IV.        The period to which the information relates: As mentioned in the subject matter.

V.  Description of the information required:

Sh. Shyamlal Misra, Secretary to Govt. Haryana, Excise & Taxation Department filed Written Statement dated 30.05.2016 before the High Court in CWP No. 6856 of 2016, Para No. 5 of the written statement reads:

“...It is vehemently denied that the Additional Chief Secretary (Sh. Roshan Lal I.A.S) had tried to sabotage the inquiry in any manner. It is further submitted that letter dated 08.12.2014 was written by the ACS (ET) to the Lokayukta after discussing the matter on 07.12.2014 with the Honourable Chief Minister”

The undersigned (Petitioner) in the aforesaid CWP highly doubt the truthfulness of the written statement, as it baffles the common sense that the Chief Minister, as Constitution Authority, will ever try to sabotage or restrict the scope of the enquiry. Therefore, with a view to apprise the Honourable High Court about the true facts on coming date of hearing on 13.07.2016 and avoid any to dispel any kind of doubt, the undersigned seeks below mentioned information in reference to the aforesaid written statement:

(1)  Please provide the minutes of the meeting of discussion on 07.12.2014, between the Chief-Minister and  Additional Chief Secretary (Sh. Roshan Lal I.A.S).

(2)  Please provide the complete chain of documents including file notings/note sheets, and correspondence/e-mails between the Chief-Minister and Additional Chief Secretary (Sh. Roshan Lal I.A.S) in reference to the letter dated 08.12.2014 written by the ACS (ET) to the Lokayukta.

(3)  Please provide the copy of the decision taken on the requisite file; for writing the letter dated 08.12.2014 written by the ACS (ET) to the Lokayukta.

SPECIAL NOTE: The matter is coming up for hearing on 13.07.2016, therefore, please provide the aforesaid information strictly within the stipulated period, i.e., 30 days, under the RTI Act, failing which the concerned officer will be responsible as per the law for any kind of laxity and dereliction of duty.

VI.        Whether information is required by post or in person: The information/intimation is required by Speed Post.

VII.      I have attached herewith the fee of Rs. 50/- in the way of Cash/Indian Postal Order No.______________, prescribed under Right to Information Rules.

Note: For providing complete information, the P.I.O. may invoke Section 6(3) Or Section 5(4) of the RTI Act.

     (RAGHBIR SINGH)