Times of India: Pune: Tuesday,
3 September 2024.
Maharashtra, with over one lakh pending appeals, needs at least 11 full-time state information commissioners to clear the pendency and ensure the proper implementation of the information act, RTI activists in the state have said.
The state currently has six commissioners. The Pune commissioner holds the additional charge of state chief information commissioner (CIC). Worse, Maharashtra is still without a full-time CIC.
In February, the state filled three posts after activists wrote to the state govt. Before that only three benches had information commissioners.
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Unless more officials are
appointed, problem of pendency and lack of transparency will continue,
activists said. Vijay Kumbhar, a Pune-based RTI activist, asked why
appointments are almost never made on time and why only retired bureaucrats are
picked to serve as information commissioners. “Why are they unable to find
candidates from a pool of 14 crore people ? And why wait for some IAS officer
to retire to appoint her/him?” he asked.
Of the current six information commissioners, Pune’s Samir Sahay holds additional charge of CIC and is also information commissioner for Pune division. In Feb, three members were appointed as SICs: Makarand Madhusudan Ranade, Dr Pradeep Kumar Vyas and Shekhar Manohar Channe.
They were brought on to hold charge of vacant benches, which included Aurangabad, Mumbai and Konkan region. Rahul Pande holds charge of Nagpur and Amravati divisions. These officials will hold office for three years or till they reach age of 65. The state had committed to Bombay HC that it would fill up all vacant posts by Feb this year.
Kumbhar, who had filed the PIL to push for the appointments, said the fight continues because the state has still not complied fully with the commitment it had made to Bombay HC. “We are following up on the appointments. We feel govt is not serious about transparency,” he said.
Former CIC Shailesh Gandhi said he hopes the govt frames a plan to make transparent decisions in a time-bound manner. “The state needs 11 full-time commissioners to clear pendency,” he told TOI.
Other activists said while all govts have been directed to appoint information commissioners, the process has been slow. “We hope positions won't be filled to offer sinecures and establish senior citizens’ clubs. Those selected must display commitment to transparency,” said a retired information commissioner.
Decisions on appeals and complaints should be made within 90 days and law on penalties should be strictly enforced, the retired officer said.
Another retired information commissioner said that average age of these officials should be less than 60.
Maharashtra, with over one lakh pending appeals, needs at least 11 full-time state information commissioners to clear the pendency and ensure the proper implementation of the information act, RTI activists in the state have said.
The state currently has six commissioners. The Pune commissioner holds the additional charge of state chief information commissioner (CIC). Worse, Maharashtra is still without a full-time CIC.
In February, the state filled three posts after activists wrote to the state govt. Before that only three benches had information commissioners.
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Of the current six information commissioners, Pune’s Samir Sahay holds additional charge of CIC and is also information commissioner for Pune division. In Feb, three members were appointed as SICs: Makarand Madhusudan Ranade, Dr Pradeep Kumar Vyas and Shekhar Manohar Channe.
They were brought on to hold charge of vacant benches, which included Aurangabad, Mumbai and Konkan region. Rahul Pande holds charge of Nagpur and Amravati divisions. These officials will hold office for three years or till they reach age of 65. The state had committed to Bombay HC that it would fill up all vacant posts by Feb this year.
Kumbhar, who had filed the PIL to push for the appointments, said the fight continues because the state has still not complied fully with the commitment it had made to Bombay HC. “We are following up on the appointments. We feel govt is not serious about transparency,” he said.
Former CIC Shailesh Gandhi said he hopes the govt frames a plan to make transparent decisions in a time-bound manner. “The state needs 11 full-time commissioners to clear pendency,” he told TOI.
Other activists said while all govts have been directed to appoint information commissioners, the process has been slow. “We hope positions won't be filled to offer sinecures and establish senior citizens’ clubs. Those selected must display commitment to transparency,” said a retired information commissioner.
Decisions on appeals and complaints should be made within 90 days and law on penalties should be strictly enforced, the retired officer said.
Another retired information commissioner said that average age of these officials should be less than 60.
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