I had filed a complaint with the Chief Information Commission (CIC) after the Right to Information (RTI) application filed by me did not get any response. The details of the RTI application and the appeal can be accessed here.
However since the CIC has not acted upon the appeal so far, I decided to redraft the RTI application and file a fresh application with the Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice. I have drafted the application in such a manner that the Public Information Officer (PIO) cannot come up with any reason to deny the information sought.
I am now listing the questions asked by me in the RTI application:
A. Kindly give full summary, status, certified copies and details as to the number of corruption cases filed by the Anti Corruption Bureau and/or any other agency against any employee of your department.
B. Kindly give full summary, status, certified copies and details as to the number of disproportionate assets cases filed against any employee of your department.
C. Kindly give full summary, certified copies of file and or electronic noting and details as to the advice given to other ministries, reference notes, reports, case filings, advisory or any other document either in hard copy or electronic form relating to any gambling, betting or lottery provision, including online gambling, betting and lotteries.
D. Kindly give details and certified copies as to any noting, advisory, report, case filing or any other document relating to Section 30 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872.
E. Please provide details and certified copies as to any advice, report, case filings or any other document in possession of the Ministry suggesting changes in existing provisions on skill based card games, including poker and rummy.
The period to which the information relates: Last twenty years.
It would be the government’s duty to provide answers to the above mentioned queries in public interest. It would be necessary to get answers to these questions to clear ambiguities in gambling law provisions and to be updated on gambling law reforms contemplated by the government.