NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Health has said in response to a request from RTI that it does not know where the records related to the agenda that circulate in the meetings of the National Group of Experts on Vaccine Administration for Covid- are held. 19.
Venkatesh Nayak from the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative had contacted the ministry seeking details of the constitution and the work of the expert group, such as meeting dates, a copy of the detailed schedule distributed in connection with each meeting, presentations made to its members and material. had shared with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA).
Nayak had also tried to find out the amount of the session fees and all other compensation or allowances payable to the chairman and each member of the think tank and the amount of the sitting fees and any other compensation or allowances actually paid to them.
The National Group of Experts on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) was formed under the chairmanship of Niti Aayog Member (Health) VK Paul on August 7 to prepare a strategy for the launch of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Information on these points was not provided by the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), saying that the details of the meeting, the agenda and the material circulated during the meetings are not included in the definition of “information” that can be shared. under the Right to Information. (RTI) Law.
The CPIO said details of the amount of session fees and any other remuneration or allowances payable to the president and other members of the expert group are not available in the immunization section of the ministry.
Nayak filed an appeal with a senior ministry official challenging the CPIO order. The official ruled that the CPIO has no information and does not know where the information may be.
The application was also transferred to the Indian Council of Medical Research and the MEA.
The ICMR said it has no information requested by Nayak.
On the NEGVAC material shared with him, the MEA cited the national security waiver clause and related issues to deny the searches.
Nayak said that both the CPIO and the first appeals authority do not know the physical location of the NEGVAC documents even though the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) provides services to this body is “truly puzzling.”
“How can meaningful participation of individuals be ensured if the MoHFW does not place details of the operation of NEGVAC in the public domain? There is a legal requirement for proactive disclosure of information under Sections 4 (1) (c) and 4 (1) (d) of the RTI Act on the operation of NEGVAC. The MoHFW and other public authorities involved in the vaccination implementation plan have a legal obligation to make public all the facts and figures together with the underlying reasoning of their decisions and actions under these provisions, “said Nayak.
He said he would approach the Central Information Commission to challenge “the actions and omissions of the MoHFW and MEA.”
Venkatesh Nayak from the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative had contacted the ministry seeking details of the constitution and the work of the expert group, such as meeting dates, a copy of the detailed schedule distributed in connection with each meeting, presentations made to its members and material. had shared with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA).
Nayak had also tried to find out the amount of the session fees and all other compensation or allowances payable to the chairman and each member of the think tank and the amount of the sitting fees and any other compensation or allowances actually paid to them.
The National Group of Experts on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) was formed under the chairmanship of Niti Aayog Member (Health) VK Paul on August 7 to prepare a strategy for the launch of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Information on these points was not provided by the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), saying that the details of the meeting, the agenda and the material circulated during the meetings are not included in the definition of “information” that can be shared. under the Right to Information. (RTI) Law.
The CPIO said details of the amount of session fees and any other remuneration or allowances payable to the president and other members of the expert group are not available in the immunization section of the ministry.
Nayak filed an appeal with a senior ministry official challenging the CPIO order. The official ruled that the CPIO has no information and does not know where the information may be.
The application was also transferred to the Indian Council of Medical Research and the MEA.
The ICMR said it has no information requested by Nayak.
On the NEGVAC material shared with him, the MEA cited the national security waiver clause and related issues to deny the searches.
Nayak said that both the CPIO and the first appeals authority do not know the physical location of the NEGVAC documents even though the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) provides services to this body is “truly puzzling.”
“How can meaningful participation of individuals be ensured if the MoHFW does not place details of the operation of NEGVAC in the public domain? There is a legal requirement for proactive disclosure of information under Sections 4 (1) (c) and 4 (1) (d) of the RTI Act on the operation of NEGVAC. The MoHFW and other public authorities involved in the vaccination implementation plan have a legal obligation to make public all the facts and figures together with the underlying reasoning of their decisions and actions under these provisions, “said Nayak.
He said he would approach the Central Information Commission to challenge “the actions and omissions of the MoHFW and MEA.”
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