Press Release  

United in defiance – Political Parties boycott transparency

Nov 21, 2014 

New Delhi: Following Central Information Commission’s (CIC) notice (F .No.CIC/SM/C/2011/001386) of 3^rd November 2014, wherein notice was sent to 6 Political Parties viz. INC, BJP, BSP, NCP, CPI & CPM for the non-compliance of CIC’s 3^rd June 2013 decision (where these 6 parties were declared “public-authorities” and hence brought under RTI) , the hearing was held on November 21.

All 6 political parties were conspicuously absent from the hearing. This defiance was very much in-line as how 3 earlier CIC notices, that had already been sent to these parties in relation to the implementation of the 3^rd June 2013 order, were treated by these parties. (The details of these 3 notices in attachment named: CIC notice to 6 Political Parties- 3rd Nov 2014)

The co-petitioners in the case Mr. Subhash Aggarwal and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) requested the Commission for penalties to be imposed on these parties (under section 20 of the RTI Act). Both the petitioners also held in their respective prayers before the bench of CIC that they should be provided exemplary compensations (under section 19 of RTI Act). 

The CIC has again summoned the six political parties for hearing on 7th January 2015.

• CIC-notice-to-6-Political-Parties-3rd-Nov-2014.pdf
• Political-Parties-under-RTI-CIC-hearing-on-non-compliance-of-3rd-June-2013-order-by-Parties.pdf
• Political-Parties-under-RTI-Written-Submission-to-CIC-on-Non-Compliance-of-3rd-June-2013-Order-%28v2%29.pdf