Livemint: New Delhi: Friday, 14 June 2024.
Amid severe shortage of
staff in SICs and CICs, the Supreme Court, on Monday, ordered the centre to
take necessary steps to ensure filling of vacancies
To ensure the proper functioning of RTI machinery, the Supreme Court, on Monday, ordered the central and the state governments to take steps to fill the vacancies in the Central Information Commission (CIC) and state information commissions (SICs). Shortage of staff in these entities has led to a massive pile-up of unheard Right to Information (RTI) applications.
While ordering the center and state governments, the apex court observed that the 2005 law on the right to information would become a “dead letter” if no action were taken to fill vacant posts in SIC and CIC.
“The Right to Information Act of 2005 will become a dead letter,” the CJI said after taking note of the submission that SICs in states like Jharkhand, Tripura, and Telangana have become defunct.
The CJI has granted states and the Centre three weeks to furnish information and posted the plea filed by RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj for hearing after that.
In his plea, Anjali alleged that the apex court's 2019 judgment on issues including timely filling up of vacancies in the CIC and SICs have not been followed by the Centre and State governments.
To ensure the proper functioning of RTI machinery, the Supreme Court, on Monday, ordered the central and the state governments to take steps to fill the vacancies in the Central Information Commission (CIC) and state information commissions (SICs). Shortage of staff in these entities has led to a massive pile-up of unheard Right to Information (RTI) applications.
While ordering the center and state governments, the apex court observed that the 2005 law on the right to information would become a “dead letter” if no action were taken to fill vacant posts in SIC and CIC.
“The Right to Information Act of 2005 will become a dead letter,” the CJI said after taking note of the submission that SICs in states like Jharkhand, Tripura, and Telangana have become defunct.
The CJI has granted states and the Centre three weeks to furnish information and posted the plea filed by RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj for hearing after that.
In his plea, Anjali alleged that the apex court's 2019 judgment on issues including timely filling up of vacancies in the CIC and SICs have not been followed by the Centre and State governments.
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