On 15th anniv of RTI Act, report card shows massive backlog

On 15th anniv of RTI Act, report card shows massive backlog

Ambika Pandit@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:12.10.2020

A report card on the performance of the Information Commissions in India shows that over 2.21 lakh appeals and complaints were pending as on July 31 in 20 information commissions. What is more worrying is that 9 out of 29 information commissions (31%) are functioning without a chief information commissioner. Even the Central Information Commission has been without a chief since August 27 this year.

Currently, the CIC is functioning with only five commissioners as besides the post of the chief, five posts of commissioners are also vacant. The backlog of appeals/complaints has been steadily increasing and currently stands at more than 36,500 cases in case of CIC, says a report by voluntary organisation Satark Nagrik Sangathan and Centre for Equity Studies. It is pointed that the State Information Commissions of Jharkhand and Tripura are defunct in the absence of any information commissioners. Monday marks 15 years since the implementation of the Right to Information Act. The report shows that 1,78,749 appeals and complaints were registered between April 1, 2019, and July 31, 2020 by 21 information commissions. During the same time period, nearly two lakh cases (1,92,872) were disposed of by 22 commissions for whom information could be obtained. When TOI sought a response on appointments and pendency, a senior govt functionary said that the process of appointment of the Central Information Commissioner (CIC) and ICs is in the conclusive stages. The PM-led selection committee had met on October 7 to consider the names recommended by the search committee for the posts of CIC and five vacant IC posts. However, the meeting was inconclusive and a second round of meeting is expected soon.

What is more worrying is that 9 out of 29 information commissions are functioning without a chief information commissioner. The Central Information Commission has been without a chief since August 27 this year