Hindu
Business Line: New Delhi: Thursday, 19 March 2015.
The
Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), a non-profit, plans to file a petition
against six national political parties for non-compliance and contempt of the
Central Information Commission’s (CIC) order dated June 3, 2013.
The six
parties are the Congress, BJP, BSP, NCP, CPI and CPI(M).
In its order,
the CIC had declared these parties as public authorities coming under the ambit
of the RTI Act. But, in its March 16, 2015 order, the CIC observed that the RTI
Act does not provide it with ample powers to deal with contempt and
non-compliance.
The ADR said
that despite the CIC itself not taking any action against these political
parties, the Right to Information (RTI) Act has sufficient provisions to deal
with cases of non-compliance and contempt of the CIC’s orders.
Terming the
CIC’s latest observation as abrogation of its own power and authority, the ADR
said the CIC is only a quasi-judicial body and should not go into the
technicalities of law.
Justifying
its decision to move the courts, ADR said the preamble of the RTI Act as well
Sections 18, 19 and 20 allow the CIC to take action on non-compliance via fines
and compensation.
Responding to
a complaint filed by ADR along with RTI activist Subhash Chandra Aggarwal, the
CIC had suggested on March 16 that the complainants “are at liberty, in view of
the facts and circumstances of this case, to approach the higher courts for
appropriate relief and redressal.”
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