AUTONOMY FOR THE GOA STATE INFORMATION COMMISSION! WHAT IS THAT?

Working environment of the goa state information commission





The following table gives the filing & disposal of cases in the Goa state Information Commission(GSIC):
COMPLAINTS APPEALS

MONTH
O.B.
FILED
DISPOSAL
C.B.
O.B.
FILED
DISPOSAL
C.B.
Upto June,0June,06
Nil
12
11
1
Nil
8
8
0
July
1
17
17
1`
0
12
12
0
Aug
1
1
0
2
0
8
8
0
Sep
2
7
7
2
0
5
5
0
Oct
2
1
1
2
0
7
6
1
Nov
2
0
0
2
1
8
2
7
Dec
2
6
0
8
7
13
1
19
Jan07
8
4
5
7
19
17
15
21









Total

48
41
7

78
57
21



























Complaints Appeals

More than 3 months old-------------- 1 1 More than 1 month old----------------4 17 less than I month old-------------------2 3


One complaint is kept pending to monitor periodically, the compliance of the commission’s order regarding the non compliance of suo moto disclosures by the public authorities in GOA.

In all pending matters, the dates of hearing are fixed.

The average time taken for disposal of each case is less than 2 months..


The facilities provided by the state government for effective implementation of the RTI Act.


The chief secretary to GOA GOVT wrote to the chief info commissioner (CIC) on 17th Jan 07 that the Govt will extend all cooperation to the GSIC to implement the RTI Act. He promised to give sufficient accommodation, vehicles for the GSIC, &funds. However, the position at the end of Jan 07 is as follows:
STAFF
As per the provisions of the Sn 16(6) of the Act, the state govt should provide necessary staff . It mandates the govt
(i) to provide the staff to the CIC & SIC and not to the commission:
(ii) The requirement is assessed by the commissioners & not the Govt;
(iii) The staff asked for has to be given

The only power given to the govt is to frame rules governing the service conditions of the staff.

The govt has sanctioned 12 posts for the commission in March 2006, filled 2 posts in March, 06, 8 posts in Dec 06. The secretary was filled on additional charge basis in Dec 06. One post is still vacant. All these posts are assessed by the Govt itself. It does not take into consideration the personal staff of minimum of one steno and one asst and one peon for each of the 2 commissioners. In addition, it did not sanction the registrar for the court work, accountant for the accounts work. Hence the GSIC requested for the creation & filling of 9 posts. There is no response from the Govt.

AUTONOMY
The staff rules were framed by the Govt in Nov 06, not giving any freedom to the GSIC to recruit a single official. The GSIC sent draft rules based on the rules framed for the staff of GOA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (GPSC), another autonomous institution . Thus, the Govt has not given the autonomy to GSIC though a specific provision is made under Sn 15(4) of the RTI Act.

FUNDS:

Though Rs 24 lakhs were voted by the legislature in July, 06 for the GSIC, the funds were operated by the Director of Information till Jan 16 th 07. This is one and half months after the secretary was appointed on part time basis. This has resulted in the commission dependant on the Director of Information for its salary of officials and the office stationary. In fact, till August, 2006 even the postage was not given for sending notices to the parties. Only now, that is, from the last week of Jan 07, a few bills are being paid. Even now, the TA Bills, medical bills are not paid. Telephones were disconnected for non payment of bills.



OFFICE ACCOMODATION


As against the requirement of office space of 300 sq meters, the GSIC was provided aroubd 75 sq meters , which is not suuficient even for the seating accomadation of staff, not to speak of the advocates, govt officers and citizens attending the court hearings. It is a pity to see them hanging around in the corridors of the office. This has been reported in the local press, but the government is unmoved. This is the environment in which the commission is functioning.

((A Venkataratnam)