I will quit if I fail to clear appeals in 3 months:Shailesh Gandhi

[sidmis]

I will quit if I fail to clear appeals in 3 months: New information commissioner
as reported in ThaiIndian.Com | October 1st, 2008 | ICT by IANS

New Delhi, Oct 1 (IANS) Shailesh Gandhi, newly appointed information commissioner in India’s Central Information Commission (CIC), has promised to clear all appeals to his office within three months, and to quit if he fails to live up to his promise.”My first and foremost objective is to bring down the pendency of the appeals and complaints at CIC (Central Information Commission that administers the Right to Information Act). Sometimes the appeals come for hearing after 3-6 months and when they come so late, the focus of the applicant gets lost,” Gandhi, who is a well know right to information (RTI) activist, told IANS in an interview.

“My main aim is to tackle that issue effectively. No appeal will stay with me for more than three months. My commitment is to ensure that an order on an appeal is passed within three months,” Gandhi added.

“This is non-negotiable and if I am not be able to do this, I promise to quit the job.”

The announcement of Gandhi’s appointment was made in the first week of September and he was sworn in as an information commissioner Sep 18. RTI activists across the country welcomed the appointment of Gandhi as an information commissioner with the CIC.

According to Gandhi, he will have to set an example for others to follow.

Asked about levying penalties on government officers for violating the RTI Act, Gandhi said: “Imposing a penalty is one way of ensuring the enforcement of the act. I will not levy penalties just for the sake of it.
“Perhaps after the first six months they will be harsher. At the same time, it doesn’t mean that I will be lenient with penalties during the first few months.”

Gandhi also said he would streamline the process of passing orders.

“I will ensure that I will give the written order to both the applicant and the PIO (Public Information Officer who heads the CIC) just after the hearing. This will save both time and resources of the commission, the applicants and the government.”

Asked about complaints of deficiencies in orders, he said: “I will try and ensure that I don’t make mistake in my orders. However, in cases where a deeper understanding of the law is required, I will take time to pass the orders.”

According to Gandhi, his ultimate aim is to ensure that applicants don’t even have to come to the CIC office, barring exceptions, for a hearing.

“I want to strengthen the system so that the commission can pass an order on the basis of what the applicants file,” he added.

Gandhi’s other major role would be to make the people aware of the RTI Act.

“Creating awareness is also an important task of the commission but I will be looking at this after a period of six months, when I am properly settled in my role of an information commissioner,” he said.

“I would also like to contribute through various awareness programmes such as workshops,” Gandhi said.

A number of RTI activists had expressed surprise when Gandhi announced that he would not file RTI applications while he was an information commissioner.

Asked about this, he replied: “I sincerely feel the RTI Act is meant to empower the common citizen. Nothing will happen if I don’t file RTI applications. I just think that being information commissioner, it will not be right on my part to do so.”

“But I am always open to advising people over the issues on which they want to file RTI applications,” Gandhi added.

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/...100102152.html

[The Great]

Please dont quit Gandhi ji. Activist certainly wish you to be there.

If he does not live up to the formidable expectation he has built up then he must quit.

At least it will create a good precedent for others.

[sidmis]

Infrastructure blues for new rights commissioner Shailesh Gandhi
as reported in Calcutta News.Net, 1st October, 2008 (IANS)

Expectations ran high when rights activist Shailesh Gandhi was
inducted into the body that administers India's RTI Act, but two weeks
down the line he is yet to be provided the basic infrastructure to
function effectively - and he is scheduled to hear his first case Oct
6.

At present, Gandhi has been allotted two rooms at the old JNU campus
building in south Delhi from where the Central Information Commission
(CIC) used to function till it moved to the more spacious August
Kranti Bhawan two km away. Of the two rooms, one doubles up as his
office while the other one is still undergoing repairs.

He has been given two assistants and is soldiering on with some of his
former associates, a visit to his office revealed.

Gandhi still does not have a mobile phone connection, which normally
should have been activated in a day. The Internet connection provided
to him works for just 2-3 hours a day.

Gandhi, who was sworn in as an information commissioner Sep 18,
however, refrained from commenting on these irritants.

Infrastructure blues for new rights commissioner

[rajub]

Best wishes for Shri Shailesh Gandhi !

I sincerely hope he completes his full tenure !

[sidmis]

Henceforth in all my Complaints and Appeals before the Commission I will add the following line

"It is my humble request to assign this case to Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi who has pledged to dispose of all cases within 3 months."

[taurus]

Mr. Shailesh Gandhi has made a very interesting observation. He says that his ultimate aim is to ensure that applicants don’t even have to come to the CIC office, barring exceptions, for a hearing. He wants to strengthen the system so that the commission can pass an order on the basis of what the applicants file. That is good. But will it not deprive the opportunity of personal hearing. Even at the level of FAA people complain about not being heard personally.

[colnrkurup]

Such minor irritants just cannot deter Mr.Shailesh Gandhi from his well founded aim. One may look at his comments on "The CIC's (Management)Regulations 2007 made immediately when the Regulation was introduced. It was posted in "Humjanenge". The CIC's present policy of not insisting the appellant from hearing has its roots on the discussions among RTI Activists in those time. Mr.Shailesh gandhi was in the forefront.

[abhi987]

As Coln. rightly said minor irritants cannot deter or defocus Mr. Shailesh Gandhi.

If the internet connection is not available Mr. Gandhi will equip himself with a laptop and something like Tata plug to surf for internet connection(Or some other service provider)

If the staff is skeleton he will equip himself in a matter of time with RTI activists to assist him.

At this point I recollect one of our member's signature which seems to be appropriate for the situation " If there is no hope we will invent one". I would like to substitute we with he.

[sidmis]

See this related post
http://www.rtiindia.org/forum/2485-open-letter-shailesh-gandhi.html#post26138

[sagginyou]

He is a man of character and grit..
definitely he will live up to the expectations

[NIRAJ]

What a GREAT THOUGHT. May GOD give you courage to do it. May be yours this step may be a lesson to U.P. State Information Commission, who are behaving like LORDS of the colenial regime.

[sidmis]

I have come accross a post by "Milap Choraria" on declaration of assets by IC Shailesh Gandhi.

Dear Wajahat,
I had made a typing error in the earlier mail. I am sending the correct figures in this. Please neglect the earlier mail:

Declaration of Income and Personal Expenses of Shailesh Gandhi


and family for financial year 2007-2008

--
Love
shailesh
All my emails are in Public domain.
Mera Bharat Mahaan..
Nahi Hai,
Per Yeh Dosh Mera Hai.
================================================== =========

I have posted it believing that this is not hoax. If someone desire I can forward the original email to him. My e-mail id is sidharthbbsr at gmail.com