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| After Commissioner's retirement, RTI cases gather dust in Jammu | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 9: After recent retirement of Information Commissioner Dr S K Sharma, the Right to Information (RTI) appeals and complaints from Jammu division have been gathering dust as government is yet to appoint his successor.
Sources said as many as 150 cases of second appeals and complaints pertaining to Jammu division are pending before the SIC. After retirement of Dr Sharma on October 31, not a single case has been heard in the SIC Jammu. The Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) G R Sufi is presently looking after the cases pertaining to Jammu division in addition to his own duties, sources told Early Times.
They said the CIC looks after cases pertaining to Civil Secretariat, High Court, Public Service Commission (PSC), State Services Recruitment Board (SSRB) and other offices which are part of the biannual durbar move.
"In view of the considerable workload on CIC, it's difficult for him to do justice with the second appeals/complaints pending before the SIC's Jammu wing," said sources.
They said the selection committee for appointing State Information Commissioner is yet to meet and "it seems government is not in a mood to conduct its meeting."
The committee comprises Chief Minister, Leader of Opposition, and one cabinet minister or Deputy Chief Minister. Sources said Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has not been even informed about the retirement of Dr Sharma. "Babus want to keep the CM in dark so that there is further delay in appointment of new Information Commissioner," said sources.
Talking to Early Times, RTI activist Raja Muzaffar Bhat said the problem lies with the legislations which govern various transparency commissions including SIC.
If the term of Central Chief Information Commissioner or the CIC ends, the Right to Information Act (both state and central RTI Act) has no provision wherein the central or state government is bound to appoint the chief or other Information Commissioners in a time bound manner, Bhat said. "The state RTI Act does not stress upon the government to fill the vacancies of Information Commissioners within a stipulated time and this seems to be a deliberate attempt and needs to be rectified by amending the State RTI Act. I would appeal government to make necessary amendment in the state RTI law," he added. "If a Deputy Commissioner gets transferred, the government posts a new DC in the district within no time. But why doesn't this happen with our autonomous bodies, commissions and transparency institutions," asked Shafiq Mir, a journalist-turned-politician from Rajouri. |
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