The essential purpose of creating the institution of Information Commission headed by a Commissioner is that transparency is assured in the functioning of the administration. Even in the Agreement of Alliance signed by the partners in Coalition Government also suggests that the Government will be transparent and the right to information will be protected and strengthened. One way of strengthening transparency is that we have the Information Commission which can be approached by those who would want to know more information or clarify the information he has by getting into touch with the Commission. We would have expected the Government strengthening the hands of the Commission by providing it with adequate manpower, budgets, and infrastructure. The Government has been moving towards this destination but there are many bureaucratic hurdles along the road that hold it back from un-interrupted flow of the right to information.
A glaring example of Government’s lack of interest in transparency and free flow of the right to information is to be found in delaying the appointment of new Information Commissioner after the superannuation of the outgoing Commissioner. It is more than a month that the post of Information Commissioner is lying vacant and the administration has taken no step whatsoever to fill the vacancy. Obviously, when an organization remains headless, its work cannot run smoothly. There are a host of matters in which the decision finally lies with the Commissioner. An incumbent holding the post regularly has the powers and the circumstantial competence to take a decision in vital matters. Somebody holding the charge is not able to exert. As per the RTI Act, the Information Commissioner is required to be appointed by the Governor on the recommendations of a high-powered selection panel headed by Chief Minister. The other members of the panel are the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and a Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Chief Minister. Even this process has not started as yet.
The Right to Information is closely linked to transparency and transparency is closely linked to good governance. Thus it is an inter-linked system in which if one component of the machine is missing the entire machine comes to a standstill. Therefore if the Government wants that it should have the reputation of ushering in good governance, it has to take care of the mechanism that provides the right to information and then transparency. In this situation, we would suggest the Government to immediately initiate the process of filling the vacant post of Information Commissioner. Delay is inadvisable.
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