Public authorities not complying with the orders of the Information Commissions is a common phenomenon across the country. To address the issue, Central Information Commissioner (CIC) Shailesh Gandhi will soon start attending to complaints of non- compliance once in a month. At the social audit of Gandhi’s cases recently held in the capital, he assured the applicants that starting October, he would dedicate one day every month to hear complaints of non- compliance.
“If we feel a need, we will increase it to two days per month,” said he.
It was the first time that the social audit of the performance of a Central Information Commissioner was conducted.
Gandhi said that he did not agree with the idea of continuous mandamus as practiced by some State Information Commissions.  As per the practice, the Commissions close a case only when the RTI applicant receives the information and he or she informs the Commission about the same. “This results in waste of resources. The Commission can hear lot of fresh complaints in the same time,” said he.
The CIC said that all the Information Commissions should work towards decreasing the pendency of cases.
“From around 11 months, I have brought down the pendency to only two-month by disposing 400-450 cases every month. I firmly believe if RTI application is not heard and decided in about two months, the RTI Act will die,” said Gandhi.