Many argue in this forum quoting previous orders of
CIC as an authority. The
CIC and SICs not being courts of records and not having any mutual jurisidction I could not digest the relevency of such a practice. Even the
CIC is not duty bound to follow its own previous orders as an authority. Even one IC may not agree with the other within the commission.
Of late there are orders of
CIC remanding the cases to AA for not exhausting the First Appeal before prefering a Complaint to
SIC strictly in accordance with Section 18 of the Act. I had already brought out in this forum that the
SiC, Kerala had dismissed my complaint on a plea that I had already availed the relief by filing a First Appeal under Section 19(1). The case is like this: " I had made request to the
PIO. The
PIO not having replied he is demed as refused the information. Made First Appeal to the AA under 19(1) stating that the
PIO has refused the information. The AA also did not reply. I had complained to
SIC.
SIC orders that myself having availed the remedy by first appeal under 19(1) not entitled to complain".
Now how will this situation can be sorted out ? It call for an urgent requirement of a Central Agency to coordinate the activities of all the commissions and to ensure that the interpretation of the
RTI Act by all Commissions are on the same line.