Right from the inception of the State Information Commission in 2005, the state has neglected this statutory body and damaged it. Over the last 6 months, this office has been functioning without a Secretary, severely handicapping its functioning. Our NGO Athak Seva Sangh wrote a letter in this regard to the Chief Minister, Chief secretary & Principal Secartary, urging them to fill up the vacanct posts on a priority basis.
This letter addressed to CM & others explains that how SIC work is adversely affected by the vacancies. Today, Mumbai, Kokan & Amaravati Commissioners posts are vacant. Near about 41 % Staff are Vacant. The Key Post of Secretary is vacant from May 2012.
State Government also not provide a franking Machine to the eight information commissioners offices to minimize delays and costs when sending notices of hearing to public info officers, First appellate authorities and appellants. Postage charges are a heavy burden on these offices.
The lengthy wait for a second appeal hearing, often stretching 12-18 months, is actually causing lower compliance anc carelessness by PIOs, thereby causing the number of appeals to multiply. Knowing that the Hearing by Information Commissioner will take a long time, they do not give proper and timely response to RTI Applicants.
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