Pending cases at CIC jump by over 56 percent during 2014
26 Feb, 2015As per a release by the Press Information Bureau, Government of India dated February 25, 2015 regarding the Pending RTI Cases, a total of 37935 second appeals/complaints are pending with the Central Information Commission (CIC). As per Right to Information Act, 2005, the RTI applications and first appeals are required to be mandatorily disposed off within 30 days of their receipt. However, no time limit has been prescribed for disposal of second appeal/complaint by the CIC.
In a written reply to Shri P.R. Sundaram and Dr. C. Gopalakrishnan in the Lok Sabha, the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Dr. Jitendra Singh gave the information on February 17, 2015. As on 17.02.2015, the total pendency with the CIC is 37935 which include both the second appeals and / or complaints. The pendency of second appeals/complaints with the Central Information Commission is as under:
As on Number of pending second appeals/complaints
31.12.2013 22907
31.12.2014 35854
The Minister informed that the CIC has been granted autonomy in recruitment of staff. The Government has also taken several steps like reiteration of guidelines for the Central Public Information Officers and First Appellate Authorities enabling them to supply information/dispose of first appeal effectively resulting in less number of appeals to the Commission.
This statistics shows a quantum jump in the number of cases pending with the CIC which is a cause of concern. There has been an increase of 12,947 cases in the calendar year 2014 which is a rise of almost 57 % over the preceding year. The CIC has been functioning without a Chief Information Commissioner since August 2014 and the appointment of information commissioners is still in process for nearly a year now.