The CIC has directed DPIIT to submit the affidavit within 15 days, both by post and by uploading it to the CIC compliance portal.

INR 4,500 Crore Covid Vaccine Funding Records Missing, CIC Orders DPIIT Action

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to file an affidavit stating that information on government funding extended to Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers during the pandemic was not available with the department.

 The order was issued on an RTI appeal filed by Mahavir Singh Sharma, who sought details of the “thousands of crores” released by the Union government to key vaccine producers Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech in 2020-21 for production of Covid-19 vaccines.

In its original reply to the RTI, DPIIT stated that the logistics division did not hold the information. Therefore, the data could be treated as “Nil”. The department’s First Appellate Authority upheld this response. CIC Information Commissioner Khushwant Singh Sethi recognised the clear indication from DPIIT that the information sought was not maintained by its division but emphasised the need for a formal affidavit affirming this non-availability on record before the appeal could be disposed of.

The CIC has directed DPIIT to submit the affidavit within 15 days, both by post and by uploading it to the CIC compliance portal, and to serve a copy to the appellant.

Sharma’s RTI had asked whether INR 4,500 crore released to Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech without a bank guarantee was returned with interest and for data on vaccine doses delivered, vaccine exports, total expenditure on Covishield and Covaxin, and whether all Indian citizens were administered these vaccines.

Source: Hindustan Times