High Court Allows RTI Activist Ajay Dubey To Inspect Governor’s Reports Sent To Centre Over Last 15 Years In MP

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh - The Madhya Pradesh High Court's principal bench in Jabalpur has granted RTI activist Ajay Dubey permission to inspect Governor's reports sent to the Central Government over the past 15 years. This 15-year period spans from 2011, when Dubey initially sought information, to the present day. The ruling came after a division bench of Chief Justice Alpesh Y Kogje and Justice Vivek Jain reviewed an earlier appeal.

The court's order reinstates a previous directive from February 23, 2012, which granted Dubey access to these monthly reports concerning state governance and political affairs at the Raj Bhavan Secretariat. Subsequently, Dubey can request certified copies of specific documents following his inspection. This decision underscores the importance of accountability in public authorities and bolsters citizens' rights under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

Dubey expressed his gratitude for the court's decision, noting that he had filed an RTI application, which was favorably decided by the initial appellate authority in 2012. The court's intervention allows Dubey to examine these confidential documents, which were shared by the Governor with the Central Government regarding the functioning of the state government.

These reports were created during a period when different political parties held power at both the central and state levels: the Congress governed the Central Government, while the BJP held sway in Madhya Pradesh. Additionally, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has also been scrutinizing the Bhoj Wetland, which holds Ramsar Status, amid encroachments, issuing orders for wetland mapping across three states.