RTI comes of age, but petitions calls for action

Express News Service: 10 Oct 2010: KOCHI:

With the Right To Information Act completing five years on Tuesday, it is time the State Information Commission took measures for the speedy redressal of the complaints coming up before the Commission.

As on August 2010, a total of 2,403 cases were pending before the State Information Commission.

The very purpose of the Commission is being questioned by the number of appeals pending before the Commission.

Out of the total cases pending, 1,964 are appeal petitions. Similarly, out of the total 4,856 complaints submitted before the Commission, 439 are pending.

Till August 2010, as many as 4,880 appeal petitions were submitted before the Commission.

Out of this, 2,916 were disposed of and 1,964 are pending.

The RTI Kerala Federation has pointed out that appeal petitions which are more than a year old are pending before the court.

The association demanded that the appointment of the Chief Information Commissioner should be made in a transparent manner.

Speaking at a function organised by the Federation, State Information Commissioner M N Gunavardhanan said the media should carry out social auditing of the government initiatives.