Source: 
Author: 
Date: 
18.03.2015
City: 
New Delhi
It refers to 'final' CIC verdict in complaint-number CIC/CC/C/2015/000182 on non-compliance by the then six national parties of full-bench CIC-verdict dated June 03, 2013 in petition-number CIC/SM/C/2011/001386 and others wherein CIC has ultimately expressed its elplessness in ensuring compliance of its verdicts.
CIC-verdict on non-compliance will have far-reaching dangerous consequences when bodies declared by CIC as public-authorities will no more care to obey CIC-directions thus giving a final blow to RTI Act by none other than CIC itself.

It is despite the fact that CIC-verdict has taken on record verdict dated March 05, 2012 by Andhra Pradesh High Court in WP No. 1380/2012 in the matter 'Kadiyam Shekhar Babu vs Chairman AP Public Service Commission' wherein it is observed that "In case the respondents did not comply with the said order passed by the Information Commission, then remedy of the petitioner is under Section 20 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 before the said information commission."

Even Presidents/Secretaries of political parties could be taken as deemed CPIOs in absence of appointment of CPIOs by defaulting political parties.

Central Information Commission has no proper procedure to tackle cases on non-compliance of its verdicts by bodies declared by it as public-authorities. Even though first notice on non-compliance was issued on 07.02.2014, complaint-number CIC/CC/C/2015/000182 for non-compliance was registered more than a year later on 11.03.2015 just five days before the CIC-verdict that too on non-compliance

petition dated 10.12.2013 and not on basis of the first one dated 27.08.2013. Enquiry should be made how CIC issued notices and even held hearings without registering the complaint-petition CIC/CC/C/2015/000182.

With law-making political parties being unanimous in realising the big mistake by empowering citizenry of India a powerful tool of accountability and transparency in governance and also themselves becoming role-model for others in law-breaking through non-compliance of CIC-verdict, it will be in larger national and public interest to save huge public-funds by repeal of RTI Act and abolish Information Commissions which are nothing but post-retirement resorts for those posted there in various capacities.

© Association for Democratic Reforms
Privacy And Terms Of Use
Donation Payment Method