Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Information Commission, which is responsible to take up the appeals and complaints related to Right to Information Act (RTI) is now facing allegation of not trying to protect officials who are not providing information under RTI Act. The Commission that ought to be the beacon of hope for the citizens fighting injustice and corruption has itself turned inefficient and unjust.
The Commission has been unable to extract the fine from government officials found to violate the stipulations of the RTI Act. The recovery system of the Commission has failed to make the recovery from these officials. The Commission has also not given clear details in its website about the number of punishments meted out and how much recovery has been made. Ironically, there is a lack of information in the website belonging to the State Information Commission.
As the Commission fails in its recovery process, the officials who were punished in the case do not even have to pay the fine for violations of the RTI Act.
In addition, the Commission is also not doing much to remove the Stay Orders won by the erring officials. Also, there is not much enthusiasm from the side of the Commission to submit counter arguments in these cases. The counsels, who appear for the Commission are inactive and inefficient, which in the end helps the officials found to be guilty by the Commission.
As the cases are not handled and fought properly by the Commission, the courts are now quashing many of these cases. The Commission has also refrained from giving information about questions on the fees given to the Commission’s lawyer, the number of cases in which the lawyer appeared, and the number of cases in which the lawyer submitted counter arguments.
Thus, the members of the Commission are protecting the officials who are not giving information under the RTI Act. When officials do not provide the required information under RTI, there is an option to go for appeal. However, there no action is taken even if a person goes for appeal. Twenty five appeals given since 2013 are still pending.
Complaints regarding the appeals given ten years ago were submitted to the present Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). However, the CIC has not taken any concrete action on it. The CIC’s reply on the complaint was received only after another RTI application was filed.
The accusation that State Information Commission is working on the behest of politicians and government officials is gaining strength.
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