Central Information Commission issues show cause notice to Amit Shah, Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati and Sharad Pawar

Adopting a tough stand against non-compliance of its order that brought six political parties including Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress under the Right to Information Act, the Central Information Commission has issued a show cause notice to leaders of these parties asking why an inquiry should not be initiated against them.

RTI Activist SC Agrawal, on whose complaint the notice was issued, said it is disgusting that political parties who legislated the RTI Act are not following it. He said, therefore, all facilities like land allotted to them for party offices should be withdrawn.

The CIC issued the notice to BJP president Amit Shah, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and leaders of Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India – Marxist.

In June 2013, a full bench of CIC headed by former CIC chief Satyananda Mishra declared these six political parties as public authorities bringing their activities under the purview of the RTI Act. Though none of the parties challenged the decision in the court, they did not follow it either The CIC issued notices to these parties on February 7 and March 25 earlier this year seeking their comments on complaint by Agrawal for not complying with CIC verdict.

"Therefore, a notice is issued to show cause within four weeks as to why an inquiry should not be initiated in the matter of non-compliance of the commission's order dated June 3, 2013, under Section 18 of the RTI Act, 2005... Take further notice that if you fail to respond within prescribed time, the matter will be processed on the strength of material on record, in accordance with law," said the notice issued on September 10.

"The political parties should either approach court against the CIC order or amend the RTI Act. It is indeed regretful that such disrespect is shown to constitutional authority like CIC that there is no compliance by those who legislated the RTI Act," Agrawal told dna.

One of the major benefits political parties get from the government is availability of land at low rates. The parties in-question too have huge chunks of land at exceptionally low rates. Besides, government accommodation is available to these parties at hugely cheap rates thereby bestowing financial benefits on them. The Income Tax exemptions granted and free air time on AIR and Doordarshan at the time of elections also has substantially helped the parties.