Maharashtra: State info panel fails to submit its annual report, 2nd time in a row
Senior officers are shirking responsibility to juniors, which results in further delay of the report
For the second time in a row, the State Information Commission (SIC) has failed to compile annual report on time. In the past, commission reports have brought to fore through Right To Information (RTI) that records are not being maintained in government, and that senior officers are shirking responsibility to junior officers, that first appellate authority should be a senior officer and that designation of public information officers is being relegated to junior officers.
The commission compiles annual report as per calendar year (January to December) and submits it to the state assembly. Commission report would be submitted the following year by budget or monsoon session. This is the second time since the RTI Act was enacted in 2005 that the report has been delayed for more than a year.
The last time the report was delayed was for the year 2016. The report back then was submitted in budget session of 2018, instead of 2017. The report of 2016 is also the last one prepared and submitted. Reports of 2017 and 2018, both are yet to be compiled and submitted.
In 2016, despite being in office till May of 2017, former chief information commission, Ratnakar Gaikwad failed to submit report before his retirement. Ajit Kumar Jain, former information commissioner though got the additional charge of chief commissioner soon, the report was compiled and submitted only in April 2018.
When contacted, Sumit Mullick, state chief information commissioner said, "It took time to collect information from all the departments. And it took time to ensure that there were no inaccuracies in the report."
"Maharashtra has always been in the forefront in releasing annual reports on time. Many of the public authorities and departments are also not giving information to commission on time which is leading to delays. If they do not receive report then that should be stated in the annual report. The commissioner should recommend action be taken as per RTI Act on the department heads who do not send annual reports on time of their respective authorities. It is natural that administrative department of the information commission needs to follow up this matter and if there is no response then that needs to be dealt with. Being an administrative head of the commission, it is the responsibility of chief commissioner to do whatever is necessary to publish report on time and if there is any delay in providing information by the department heads, he should ensure legal action is recommended or taken," said Bhaskar Prabhu, RTI activist.
SUBMISSION FAILURE
- In 2016, despite being in office till May of 2017, former chief information commission, Ratnakar Gaikwad failed to submit report before his retirement. Ajit Kumar Jain, former information commissioner though got the additional charge of chief commissioner soon, the report was compiled and submitted only in April 2018.