Huge staff crunch in all the benches of Maharashtra SIC
7 Aug, 2013
Proper implementation of Right to Information (RTI) Act is being severely hampered by the acute shortage of staff in all the seven benches of the Maharashtra State Information Commission (SIC). Of the total 144 sanctioned posts in different benches of the SIC, 57 posts are lying vacant. Further, there are no full time information commissioner in half of the divisional benches leading to piling of complaints and appeals as old as over two year old.
As per the 2012 annual report of the information commissioner, the vacant posts of deputy secretary, secretary and desk officers have been hampering the functioning of the benches. Section 16(6) of RTI Act makes it mandatory for the state governments to provide the respective SICs with information commissioners and other employees needed for its proper functioning.
However, the delay in the appointments on the part of the state government has been termed as a deliberate attempt of the government to hamper the implementation of RTI act by a section of the RTI activists.