DNA LINK : http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.asp...ate=03/13/2012

Application filed today will be registered in three-four months and hearing may take more than a year
Appeals are registered with a lag of 3-4 months. The first hearing is fixed one year after the date of registration; the second another year down the line...so by the time the final decision comes, it is about three years. RTI users are losing faith—An applicant
faith lost
It is over a month that the high court served a notice to govt on appointment of info commissioners, no appointments are in offing
There is only chief info commissioner, who looks after the appeals. The appointment of information commissioners requires approval of CM, leader of oppn and a cabinet minister
Sources said a file was put up by administrative reforms dept before CM a few months ago, but chief secy returned it saying, “the appointments will be made in due course”
Application filed today will be registered in three-four months and hearing may take more than a year
DNA Correspondent l Jaipur
The Right to Information Act is dying a slow death in the state of its birth, thanks to the apathy of the very government which stakes credit to have ushered it in.
“Appeals are registered with a lag of 3-4 months. The first hearing is fixed one year from date of registration; the second hearing another year down the line...so by the time the final decision comes, it is about three years and RTI users are completely losing faith,” said an applicant.
Over a month after the high court served a notice to government on appointment of information commissioners — there being just one in the Rajasthan Information Commission — no appointments are in the offing.
“A final decision is being taken and we hope the appointments will be made soon,” chief secretary CK Mathew told DNA, although he declined to specify a time frame.
The appointment of information commissioners requires approval of the chief minister, leader of the opposition and a cabinet minister, as specified by the RTI Act 2005. A file was put up by the administrative reforms department before the CM a few months ago, which was returned with the chief secretary’s remark that “the appointments will be made in due course”, said sources.
Lack of space and manpower also hamper RTI’s efficient execution. “The state government has started the construction of a new building for the Rajasthan Information Commission (RIC) on the OTS campus. The cost is pegged at `5 crore, which was to be borne equally by the Centre and the state government. The Centre has now declined to put in its share,” said sources. In the meantime, the situation at RIC has changed completely.
An RTI applicant Riaz Khan sent a second appeal to the RIC on June 6, 2011. Despite having an acknowledgment receipt, RIC denied having received it. So, Riaz Khan again filed the appeal in person.
Till today, his appeal has not even been registered, leave alone listed. A final decision on one of his other appeals, heard on December 12, 2011, is yet to be delivered.
Another applicant, Kamal Tank has filed a second RTI appeal. His original application sought the status of section 4 (suo moto disclosures) implementation in SMS hospital in Jaipur. The first hearing took place sometime in January 2012.
Next hearing has been schedule for May 2013 — almost one and a half years later.
This, more or less, is the story of 8,000-odd appeals pending with the RIC, set to rise in the absence of no one to hear them but a sole chief information commissioner (CIC).
“We are hearing about 40 appeals and 10-12 complaints in a day,” said T Srinivasan, CIC, Rajasthan.
“We have made several representations to government about appointing more information commissioners. Now, it is up to the government to take a call,” said Srinivasan.
Published Date: Jul 12, 2012