Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Information logjam in state, RTI in peril-Chhandosree

Information logjam in state, RTI in peril-Chhandosree

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Mar 10, 2013   modified Modified on Mar 10, 2013
-The Telegraph

Ranchi: The state information commission, mandated to ensure enactment of a sunshine law that aims to empower citizens by allowing access to crucial official documents and decisions has stopped work in Jharkhand as it has no officer to hear cases.

Headed by chief information commissioner Justice (retired) D.K.Sinha, the commission is meant to have 10 information commissioners (IC) to hear cases filed under the Right to Information Act.

But, all posts have been lying vacant for over a year now.

Sinha has, therefore, been forced to temporarily suspend all complaints and review petitions. Hearings, if at all, are being scheduled six to seven months late, this at a time when the commission receives around 50 to 60 cases every day.

No wonder Sinha has thrown up his hands in despair. “Where is the work to get burdened?” he said when asked whether he felt burdened by the sheer volume of cases that were piling up.

“The state information commission was created to bring solace to people filing RTI (queries). The entire purpose of the commission has been killed. If the vacancies are not filled at the earliest, the number of cases would increase to such an extent that ultimately, it will become difficult for information commissioners to clear them,” he added.

For the Jharkhand citizen, therefore, the situation is pretty hopeless as Vijay Kant of Garhwa found out.

He filed an RTI application with the public information officer of Garhwa to dig deeper into the district rural development agency’s handing over of construction work of Nilambar Pitambar Park to an agency without floating tenders.

Under normal circumstances, Vijay should have got the information he wanted within a month. But, he didn’t, and hence moved the first appellate officer. When that, too, did not work he went in for a second appeal to the state information commission.

But, given its pathetic predicament, the commission allotted him a hearing on July 13.

Agonising as it is, people like Vijay have no option but wait. For, over 35 appeals and hundreds of complaints and review petitions are pending with the commission for more than a year now.

The recruitment process for information commissioners is in itself complicated, if not, time-consuming. It began in August 2011, when the government of the day formed a three-member committee comprising then chief minister Arjun Munda, Opposition leader Rajendra Singh and then land reforms minister Mathura Mahto to select information commissioners.

The committee selected four names but could not appoint them as they did not have necessary work experience in the realm of RTI. But, after a series of meetings the committee chose Sinha as CIC.

In 2012, the committee again came out with fresh names — Rajesh Srivastava, Himanshu Chaudhary and P. Das — and sent them to Raj Bhavan for the governor’s approval.

Raj Bhavan with governor Syed Ahmed at the helm is yet to take a final decision on the names.

“The names of prospective CICs are still under review by the governor. They have not been rejected,” clarified N. N. Sinha, principal secretary to the governor, but added that he was in no position to comment on when a final decision was likely.

The Telegraph, 10 March, 2013, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130310/jsp/frontpage/story_16654190.jsp#.UTwOwTfeqSI


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close