Bengaluru: Activists against corruption and Right To Information (RTI) are staging a protest in front of the Town Hall on October 15, citing the dismal performance of the Karnataka Information Commission, particularly its chief A.K.M. Naik.
As per the RTI Act, the applicant should be provided with necessary details for queries within 30 days. If not, an RTI applicant is eligible to approach the KIC under Section 18 of the Act with a complaint and under Section 19(3) of the Act through Second Appeal under Section 19(1) of RTI Act 2005 for justice, said RTI activist B.H. Veeresh.
“It is highly regrettable that complaints or appeals filed before the KIC is being taken up for first hearing after a period of eight months to one year, depending on the Information Commissioner. This is against the letter and spirit of RTI Act 2005 and defeats its purpose. The Act was passed by Parliament to bring in public probity and to curb corruption at all levels,” he said.
The commissioners are following their own procedures for hearing the complaints and to adjourn cases to the next date of hearing. The period of adjournments vary from one month to six months depending on the Information Commissioner. This attitude is hurting the RTI activism in the state, he said.
This is grave injustice both to the RTI Act and RTI applicants. There is enormous delay in receiving orders as they are being sent to parties only after two to three months by some commissioners. At least 12,000 cases are pending before the KIC and the number of complaints filed is more than those disposed of, he said.
No uniformity is maintained in hearing cases in a particular day. Although Saturday is a working day, no cases are heard by the commissioners on that day, he said.
Recently, the Central Information Commission fixed a target of 3200 cases to be disposed of by a commissioner per year.
