Sonia Gandhi Mum on RTI Query, CIC Issues Fresh Notice

The New Indian Express‎‎: New Delhi: Monday, May 09, 2016.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has issued a fresh notice to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to explain her case before its full bench on allegations of not responding to queries in a Right to Information (RTI) application despite orders from the transparency panel.

A full bench of the commission, comprising Information Commissioners Bimal Julka, Sridhar Acharyulu and Sudhir Bhargava, will hear the complaint filed by activist R K Jain.

The fresh notice was issued after orders from the Delhi High Court, which in August 2014 directed that the “complaint filed by the petitioner be considered expeditiously and preferably within a period of six months”, and a subsequent complaint to the commission by Jain against its registrar.

Jain had alleged that despite orders of the high court, Registrar M K Sharma had not fixed any date for the commission.

Threatening to file a contempt petition, Jain alleged that the registrar was “deliberately, malafidely and persistently” defying the orders and directions of the Delhi High Court and causing to fix the said case for hearing, despite issue of four weeks’ notice.

Jain had filed the RTI application with the Congress in February, 2014 but having received no response from the party, he registered a complaint in that regard before the transparency body.

In his complaint, which will be heard before the full bench, Jain has alleged that the Congress’ lack of response was a violation of a full bench order of the Commission which had declared it and five other national parties the BJP, CPI, CPM, NCP and BSP as public authorities, making them answerable under the Right to Information Act.

Refusal to provide information or not furnishing complete information is deemed an offence under the RTI Act, which prescribes a penalty of Rs 250 per day on the public information officer of the public authority from the date the information became due to the day that it was finally made available.

‘Explain your case’

The CIC wants the Congress president to explain her case before a full bench of the Commission on allegations that the party had failed to respond to queries filed under the RTI Act despite having been ordered to do so.