Deccan Herald: Bengaluru: Monday, 27 January 2025.
The Karnataka Rashtra
Samithi (KRS) has slammed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for undermining the Right
to Information (RTI) Act by delaying the appointment of commissioners to fill
vacancies in the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC).
In a letter, the KRS expressed concerns over the government’s inaction, stating that the failure to fill these vacancies has crippled the functioning of the KIC.
The party pointed out that many government departments and agencies are denying information to the public, exacerbating the issue.
"The Supreme Court, during a hearing on January 7, raised serious objections to the delay and sought a report from the chief secretary. Despite this, the government has not taken steps to make the appointments,” said Manjunath S of the KRS.
Manjunath also criticised the government for favouring candidates with bureaucratic backgrounds for these positions. He said of the 11 commissioner posts, eight have been vacant for a long time, and the terms of the remaining three commissioners will end on April 18.
The KRS urged the government to appoint qualified people who understand the spirit of the RTI Act.
The party further pointed out the dire state of the RTI system in Karnataka.
“Under current circumstances, many information officers and first appellate authorities lack knowledge of the RTI Act and often mislead applicants. At the KIC, more than 50,000 complaints are pending, and applicants are forced to wait six months to a year just to have their applications heard.
In some cases, it takes two to three years to obtain the requested information,” Manjunath noted. He also questioned Siddaramaiah’s claim that the government is committed to protecting the Constitution. “The RTI Act is an extension of the constitutional right to free speech under Article 19(1)(a). Your claims of safeguarding the Constitution are nothing but political sloganeering,” Manjunath said.
The KRS called for urgent action to restore the effectiveness of the KIC and ensure transparency in governance.
In a letter, the KRS expressed concerns over the government’s inaction, stating that the failure to fill these vacancies has crippled the functioning of the KIC.
The party pointed out that many government departments and agencies are denying information to the public, exacerbating the issue.
"The Supreme Court, during a hearing on January 7, raised serious objections to the delay and sought a report from the chief secretary. Despite this, the government has not taken steps to make the appointments,” said Manjunath S of the KRS.
Manjunath also criticised the government for favouring candidates with bureaucratic backgrounds for these positions. He said of the 11 commissioner posts, eight have been vacant for a long time, and the terms of the remaining three commissioners will end on April 18.
The KRS urged the government to appoint qualified people who understand the spirit of the RTI Act.
The party further pointed out the dire state of the RTI system in Karnataka.
“Under current circumstances, many information officers and first appellate authorities lack knowledge of the RTI Act and often mislead applicants. At the KIC, more than 50,000 complaints are pending, and applicants are forced to wait six months to a year just to have their applications heard.
In some cases, it takes two to three years to obtain the requested information,” Manjunath noted. He also questioned Siddaramaiah’s claim that the government is committed to protecting the Constitution. “The RTI Act is an extension of the constitutional right to free speech under Article 19(1)(a). Your claims of safeguarding the Constitution are nothing but political sloganeering,” Manjunath said.
The KRS called for urgent action to restore the effectiveness of the KIC and ensure transparency in governance.
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