No information about creation of Aarogya Setu app, says MeitY; CIC issues show cause notice

Information Commissioner Vanaja N Sarna, in a terse order, pointed out that the website of the application mentions that the content on it is “owned, updated and maintained” by MyGov and MeitY and directed the CPIO of the ministry to explain why they didn’t have the requisite information New Delhi: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the National Informatics Centre have said they do not have any information about the “creation” of the Aarogya Setu application promoted by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19, responses termed as “preposterous” by the Central Information Commission. Information Commissioner Vanaja N Sarna, in a terse order, pointed out that the website of the application mentions that the content on it is “owned, updated and maintained” by MyGov and MeitY and directed the CPIO of the ministry to explain why they didn’t have the requisite information. “The CPIO NIC also should explain that when in the website it is mentioned that Aarogya Setu Platform is designed, developed and hosted by National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, then how is it that they do not have any information about creation of the App,” she said. The Information Commissioner issued a show-cause notice to four officials — Deputy Directors MeitY SK Tyagi and DK Sagar, Senior General Manager National E-Governance Division RA Dhawan, and CPIO NIC Swarup Dutta.