‘Showing audit notes no breach of privilege’

Audit notes used for preparing a report can be disclosed under Right to Information (RTI) Act and this does not amount to breach of parliamentary privilege, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has told the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

The CIC decision came on appeals filed by three persons who had sought audit notes and memos from the accountants general of Goa, Orissa and Punjab.

They were denied information on grounds that it is exempted under RTI, but the CIC had now ordered them to disclose the information.

According to CAG, observations, marginal notes and memos go into making an audit report. The reports are then presented before parliament or legislatures, from where they are referred to public accounts committees and committees on public undertakings for examination and reporting back to parliament / legislatures.

Before giving its decision, the CIC had sought the views of Lok Sabha secretary general PDT Achary.

“While actual material is not to be disclosed during a proceeding before a parliamentary panel, such prohibition does not apply to material not yet part of a proceeding. Audit notes are in the latter category,” a CIC bench ruled.