The void between theory and practice is the bane of the Coalition Government despite the tall claim that it is committed to provide transparency in administration. Sometimes there are individual cases which make us doubt the intentions of the Government in fulfilling promises made when time comes to act. The case in point is of the lack of interest with the Government to make the State Information Commission really functional.
State Information Commission comprises the Chief Information Commissioner and two members. It so happened last year that there was a time when the Chief Information Commissioner completed his term and demitted the office. In normal course of things the Government should have made the fresh appointment within the stipulated time. It did not and then the State Accountability took up the matter suo moto and asked the General Administrative Department why the SIC had become dysfunctional. GAD took the initiative and retired IAS officer Khurshed Ahmad Ganai as the Chief Information Commissioner. However two other members of the Commission also retired during past one year and so far their replacement has not been made by the Government. The State Accountability Commissions again took up the matter with the GAD only to receive the reply that the two members were going to be appointed soon. Nearly six months have gone by, and the Selection Committee which is supposed to draw the panel of prospective candidates has not done its home work. No panel has been drawn and the Chief Information Commissioner has rightly asked how can the Commission function when its lacks manpower.
This is somewhat bizarre matter. Firstly, the SAC had to intervene for making the SIC functional. At that time Daily Excelsior also threw its weight in favour of making the SIC functional because it was like a watchdog ensuring that information was provided on demand as that was the proof of much talked about transparency. However, after the appointment of the Chief Information Commissioner was made, the Government slept over the question of filling the two vacancies of the members. There appears a design behind the slackness of the Government in making two appointments. One can say that the Government is not interested in making the Commission functional because it does not want to be transparent. Is the Government scared of transparency that it wants to make the Commission dysfunctional? Though, the SAC had directed for listing the matter in April this year yet the same has not been taken up till date despite lapse of several months because of unknown reasons. By taking advantage of non-listing of the case before the SAC the Government is soft-paddling on the appointment of two Information Commissioners despite being aware of the fact that it is very difficult for one person (CIC) to handle entire work of the Commission, which is considered as a major tool to compel the bureaucrats for maintaining transparency in the functioning of their respective departments.
The seamy side of the story is that there has been a culture of hiding and shielding cases of corruption, misrule and mismanagement in various departments of the State administration. In the past the State Information Commission had been asking many awkward questions that caused embarrassment to the Government. This is the old habit and difficult to break it. Our administration has to realise that times have changed and life has become fast and mechanical. Administration must change with the change in the entire system and life style.
Follow our WhatsApp channel