Can the future plans of the company be disclosed under RTI?
23 Jul, 2012Background
The appellant sought information regarding development of deep water blocks by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) under the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) scheme and the related matters. The Public Information Officer (PIO) provided part information, except for those related to the plans of ONGC for development of deep water blocks and deep water rigs. During the hearing, the respondent submitted that the plans of ONGC cannot be disclosed to the appellant as it involves issues of commercial confidentiality and trade secrets.
View of CIC
The Central Information Commission (CIC) rejected the appeal observing that no organization can disclose its future plans to a third party, especially ONGC which explores hydro carbons, a highly critical input for the country’s economic growth and defence potential.
Citation: Mr. Alok Mall v. ONGC, in File No.CIC/LS/A/2011/004175
RTI Citation : RTIFI/2012/CIC/501
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