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Vajpayee’s Independence Day speech: draft records missing from PMO

Central Information Commission closes the case
Applicant demands apology from the PMO

New Delhi: A month after the Central Information Commission’s direction to trace records on the drafting of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Independence Day speech in 2002, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has expressed its inability to locate them.

However, the CIC has closed the case.

The CIC, in its December 17 order last year, directed the PMO to make a “renewed effort” to trace the records, terming its plea on non-availability “most unusual.”

Quota for SC/STs

The order followed a right to information (RTI) plea of a city resident R.L. Kain seeking details on drafting of Mr. Vajpayee’s Independence Day speech in which he had announced extension of job reservation to SC/STs for the next 10 years.

“The records related to the information sought could not be traced ...,” PMO’s former Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) Kamal Dayani had said in his reply of January 10.

The PMO, however, produced before the Commission a report of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) detailing the inputs provided to it for preparation of the speech.

The DoPT is the administrative ministry that deals with matters relating to reservation, it said.

“Misleading statement”

The applicant demanded an apology from the PMO for its negligence for an “alleged misleading statement” by Mr. Vajpayee on the extension of reservation to SCs/STs, which did not find any favour from the CIC.

“Mr. Kain’s comments regarding the method of drafting the speech and the interpretation given to the information on which it was prepared is not for us to adjudicate upon,” Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah said, terming the matter as “closed.”

In its order, the Commission had expressed surprise over the PMO’s assertion that the relevant records could not be found out.

“To explain why the record of drafting of the speech of the then Prime Minister had not been retained in the PMO which was an established practice, since even if the concerned drafting officer had relinquished office, it would be most unusual if draft speeches ... were also to move with the officer so relinquishing the office,” the order said. — PTI

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