Info panel defunct in absence of commissioners

Times of India: Jaipur: Saturday, October 04, 2014.

Even after a month of expiry since the deadline fixed by the Rajasthan high court for filling up all vacant positions of information commissioners in the state information commission to ensure speedy disposal of pending appeals nothing much has moved. The deadline expired on August 14.

The Rajasthan Information Commission (RIC) just has a chief information commissioner but not a single information commissioner. The information Act prescribes a minimum of two and a maximum of 10 information commissioners in a state. Moreover, the Supreme Court recently made it mandatory for the information commission to hear appeals by at least a two-member bench.

Hence, in the absence of information commissioners, the commission has remained defunct. According to estimates, more than 12,000 second appeals are pending for hearing with the commission and the time period of appeals filed now is almost two years.

The high court's orders were made on a petition filed by a resident of Jodhpur and RTI activist Dinesh Bothra. The petitioner said the state government has appointed only one chief information commissioner (CIC) in state, whereas the Act demands appointment a minimum of one and a maximum 10 information commissioners.

Sources revealed that the government has received 119 applications for the post of information commissioners but the list of short listing of candidates by the committee comprising the chief minister, the leader of opposition and a cabinet minister is not yet done.

"Transparency is a fading in the current government. It is carving out new laws and the Land Acquisition Bill is yet another step towards it but there is no transparency. Even the minimum wage for labourers that was to be raised has not happened till now," said Kamal Tak of the Rozgar Evum Suchna Ka Adhikar Abhiyan.

Incidentally, Rajasthan was instrumental in bringing about the RTI Act in the country which has now become the biggest showpiece legislations of the UPA. But till the time the state puts its act together and appoints an information commissioner soon, it may well be justice delayed for many seeking justice under the Act.