In the last five years, the central information commission (CIC) has directed many agencies and departments in the country to proactively disclose information at public forums such as websites and notice boards. This is a must under section of the RTI act. 

But is the CIC complying with section 4? It is, but it needs to do more.

The CIC has found that several of its decisions passed during a given month were not uploaded on the website http://cic.gov.in.

The commission observed this during its meeting held on 5th of this month.

According to the minutes of this meeting, the commission has directed to put in place a system so as to ensure that the decisions in all disposed of cases were uploaded on the website most expeditiously.

Also, the statement on the receipt and disposal of the cases during a month will also include a column indicating the status of the availability of the decisions on CIC website.

“A nodal officer shall be nominated for monitoring the cause list and availability of decisions of all disposed of cases on the website,” says the minutes of the meeting.

Regarding the pendency of the cases with the CIC, it was decided that the commission will dispose all the cases pending for over a year on a priority basis.

Out of all the pending cases with the CIC, 55 percent are pending for less than three months and 91 percent for less than six months.

There are 8.7 percent cases pending for over six months and 2.1 percent cases pending for over a year.

It was observed that large number of over one year pendencies were due to appeals/stay orders in similar matters, in superior courts.

“Processes of disposal of the cases were held up till the Courts’ view in a given subject or interpretation of statute was made known. Registries will put up the list of such cases to the Chief IC for directions,” noted the commission.