DNA : Mumbai: Friday, June 22, 2012.
Right to Information (RTI) users can look forward to having a good time filing applications in six month’s time if the state’s new chief information commissioner, Ratnakar Gaikwad’s claims are anything to go by.
Gaikwad aims to clear all pending appeals at the commission within six months.
“Pending appeals is one of the major concerns now. I want to ensure that all the old ones are complete in six months time. Once that is done, I want to ensure that if a new case is filed, it is heard and cleared in a week’s time,” Gaikwad told DNA.
The Right to Information Act, 2005, is dying a slow death under the pressure of pending appeals and complaints. The total number of second appeals in the state as on April 2012 was 20,529, while the complaints stood at 4,100.
Often RTI activists, and at times even commissioners, have blamed staff shortage for the same. While the state has appointed the state chief, three posts of commissioners are still lying vacant and the staff shortage is nearly 40%. Despite the shortage, Gaikwad aims big.
“I plan to visit Shailesh Gandhi’s office to see how he disposes of appeals. It will happen before he retires,” said Gaikwad.
At present, Gandhi is considered to be disposing the maximum number of appeals, his highest being 667 appeals in a month. In Maharashtra, the average disposal rate was up to 250 per month a year ago.
However, due to the vacancies and commissioners handling more than one bench, the average has dropped to 150 appeals per month.
“I have set myself a target of clearing 400 appeals in a month. If I can reach 500, I would surprise myself. But these should be calculated post July,” said Gaikwad.
RTI activists welcomed the decision. “If he plans to clear 400 appeals, it shows a very good intention and that the implementation of RTI will be much better. But we hope that hearings are done as per the requirements of the RTI Act,” said Bhaskar Prabhu, an RTI activist.
But RTI activist, Krishnaraj Rao was skeptical.
“While broadly speaking, it is not possible for him to do this. And if it is done without regard to due process, then the RTI applicant will not get the information and justice. Even with Gandhi’s orders, some people are critical of him. If that is his record, I do not think anyone can beat that record on a consistent basis. Out here, there are three vacant benches and there are issues with the number of stenographers. Backlog of two years cannot be cleared in six months,” he said.
Gaikwad said, “The point is many innovative methods are there to dispose of appeals. If I do 30 per day, around 400 can be achieved. One only has to be systematic, short and focused in his order. With the number of officers I have, I think I can manage it.”
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