Centre asks ministries for details of clubs, institutes
NEW DELHI: The Union government has sought from ministries details of the functioning of Gandhian institutes, clubs, and conference centres, according to an official note.
The ministries that have received a request for information from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) include the home ministry, information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry, the electronics and information technology ministry, as well as the department of official languages. The list of those who received the mail also includes the home secretary and the I&B secretary.
The prominent clubs related to these ministries include the various media related clubs like the Foreign Press Club and the Indian Women’s Press Club.
“It is requested the information sought as attached be shared. Details related to the ministry/ institutions/ autonomous bodies of the ministry may be shared by 16 November, 5pm,” said an e-mail from Amarapali Kata, deputy secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office that was sent Monday evening. HT has seen a copy of the e-mail, which has separate attachments on the details sought in each category of institution.
The purpose of seeking this information isn’t known. It is also not clear if such a communication has been sought by the government before. HT reached out to the PMO for comment but didn’t receive any.
The PMO has sought information on three categories of institutions: Delhi clubs, conference halls in Delhi, and Gandhian institutes (institutes on Gandhian Studies and related subjects/institutes where a Gandhian chair has been established”, according to the attachment).
For clubs, the PMO has sought details on “whether the land is given on subsidised rates’’ and if so, the terms and conditions for the same. For conference centres, it has sought details of all events held this year and the facilities provided in the conference centre. And for Gandhian institutes, it has asked for details of courses that the institute offers.
HT contacted Home secretary Ajay Bhalla and I &d B secretary Apurva Chandra, both marked on the mail. While Bhalla didn’t respond, Chandra said he wasn’t aware of this communication.
A person who works with the government told HT it is likely this request is part of the government’s stocktaking ahead of the G20 summit that will be hosted by India next year.
”We are likely to see 500 events from now till next year,’’ said the person, who didn’t want to be named. “A bulk of them are in Delhi and so we will need a lot of spaces. There is work on since the past month and so this could be part of that.” However, a key officer involved in organising the G-20 scheduled in September next year, told HT that there were comparatively few events in the Capital, and so this communication was related to hosting the G-20. “Most of the Delhi events will be at Pragati Maidan so I don’t think this is about that,’’ he said, on condition of anonymity.