ELECTRONICS Corporation of India Ltd and Bharat Electronics Ltd have refused to disclose the names and contact details of the manufacturers and suppliers of various components of EVMs and VVPATs under the RTI Act citing “commercial confidence”, according to RTI responses from the PSUs to an activist. Activist Venkatesh Nayak had filed two identical Right To Information applications with the ECIL and BEL, seeking the details of the manufacturers and suppliers of various components used in the assembling of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPATs). The VVPAT is an independent vote verification system which enables electors to see whether their votes have been cast correctly.

 

The ECIL and the BEL, public sector undertakings under the Ministry of Defence, manufacture EVMs and VVPATs for the Election Commission. Nayak also sought a copy of the purchase orders for the components from both PSUs.

“Information sought is in commercial confidence. Hence details cannot be provided under Section 8(1)(d) of the RTI Act,” BEL said in its response. A similar response was sent by ECIL which said the details requested are related to a

product which is being manufactured by ECIL, and third party in nature. “Disclosing of details will affect the Competitive position of ECIL. Hence, Exemption is claimed under section 8(1) (d) of RTI ACT, 2005,” it said. In response to the purchase order copies, ECIL’s central public information officer said the information is “voluminous” which would disproportionately divert the resources of the Public Authority.