NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister’s Office has advised
Air India not to disclose information related to trips abroad by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in the national carrier’s chartered flights, citing security implications. It came to light in Air India’s response to an
RTI filed by Commodore (retd)
Lokesh Batra, asking the national carrier for details of dates of invoice raised for chartered flights provided by it for foreign visits of the PM since November 2016, and the dates of forwarding each of these bills to the ministries of civil aviation and external affairs.
Batra, who got a response from the central Ppublic information officer (CPIO), said the officer said he cannot furnish information as sought and also sent him an e-mail communication from the
PMO to Air India on the issue.
In the email to an Air India on December 26, 2016, the PMO had said, “Records pertaining to the PM's flight have certain information which may have security implications and are, hence, exempted from disclosure under clause (g) of Section 8(1) of the RTI Act, 2005.”
