When Public Information Officers and RTI complainants reached Karnataka
Information Commission at 11 AM on 30.9.2009 they were shell shocked when they
were informed that all cases scheduled to be heard in the morning were
adjourned to the afternoon session. Reason - All information commissioners
including Chief Information Commissioners were in Vidhana Soudha to bid
farewell to outgoing Chief Secretary to Government Mr. Sudhakar Rao. Many
applicants and PIOs who had booked their return tickets in the afternoon to go
back to their places had to cancel their return tickets. Such incidents are
not new in Karnataka Information Commission. Even in early occassions cases
were adjourned abruptly without assisgning any reason. This incident has
proved that the Information Commissioners including Chief Information
Commissioner are subordinate to the Chief Secretary to the Government.
In Karnataka Information Commission each Commissioners have fixed their own
timings convenient to them. Dr. Krishna and Mr. Virupakshaiah start hearing
cases at 11 AM, Mr. Thippeswamy's court hall commences at 11.30 A M. Chief
Information Commissioners court starts at 12.00 Noon. Dr. Krishna and Mr.
Virupakshaiah will hear the adjourned cases soon after completion of fresh
cases in the monring, Mr. Thippeswamy and Mr. K K Mishra hear the adjourned
cases in the afternoon session. Flexible timings followed by the
Commissioners at their convenience is causing great inconvenience to the
public as well as Public Information Officers. Mahithi Hakku Adhyayana Kendra
and several other activists had requested the CIC several times to follow the
uniform timings and procedure in hearing the cases. Even while hearing cases
seniority is not being maintained. PIOs meeting the Commissioners prior to the
hearing is a common scene in Karnataka
Information Commission. Several Activists had objected to the Practice of
PIOs discussing their cases with the Commissioners prior to the hearing. Even
they had requested for a code of conduct for Commissioners. As a result of all
these practices adopted by the Commissioners citizens have lost their
confidence in the Commission. Pendency of cases before the commission is
another reason for total failure of implementation of RTI Act in the State. If
a complaint is filed today, it will come up for hearing only after three to
four months. If the information is not provided in the next hearing, cases are
being adjourned for another three to four months. Only in few cases nominal
penalty has been imposed agains the PIOs. Humiliation of RTI complaints before
the commission during hearing of cases is still being continued. PIOs are
being advised to file criminal cases against the RTI applicants by one
particular commissioner.
The above points are to be seriously discussed during the meeting convened by
the Government with RTI Activists and Media representatives on 7.10.2009 at 4
PM in the Conference Hall of Vidhanasoudha, Bangalore
B.H. VEERESHA
MAHITHI HAKKU ADHYAYANA KENDRA
54, 17TH CROSS, M C LAYOUT
VIJAYANAGAR, BANGALORE 560 040
TEL.NO. 9448704693
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