The Maharashtra state information commission (SIC) is ailing with lack of funds and staff shortage.

Almost 50 posts are lying vacant at seven divisions of the SIC including the office of the SIC chief.

There are nine posts lying unoccupied, both at junior and senior levels in the office of the SIC chief. This includes vacancies for two assistants, one junior stenographer, two clerk-typists, one driver and three peons.

In total, there are 47 posts vacant across the seven divisions of the commission viz chief SIC office, greater Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Konkan, Amravati and Nashik divisions. 

The information was obtained by Mumbai based RTI activist Mohammad Afzal.

According to the information, the government allocated a grant of Rs 4.95 crore to the SIC for 2010- 2011 against the demand of Rs 6. 11 crore.

The documents reveal that the SIC has written letters to the authorities including the state general administration department, the chief secretary and the chief minister about lack of adequate staff and severe fund crunch.

On February 2, the chief state information commissioner Vilas Patil wrote to governor K Sankaranarayanan about the vacancies.

“Many times, the officials at the commission spend money from their own pockets to buy stationery items such as stenographers’ pads,” said the applicant. 

Till November last, there were more than 14, 000 appeals pending with the seven divisions of the SIC.