[HumJanenge] Why the Information Commissioners of Odisha shy away from speaking about their performance in the public?

Why the Information Commissioners of Odisha shy away from speaking about their performance in the public?

Dear friends,

On 10.3.2012, in a State-level Workshop on RTI organized  by  an NGO working  among slum-dwellers  of Bhubaneswar Municipality Corporation, Mr. Tarun Kanti Mishra , State Chief Information Commissioner, Odisha had  joined in as Chief Guest  in the inaugural session and I happened  to be Guest of Honour  in this session.  In his inaugural speech, Mr. Mishra spoke about functioning of Odisha Information Commission at  length. He said that long pendency of cases has become a matter of worrying concern and the Commission is trying hard to dispose of the cases quickly. Not quoting name of any organization or RTI Activist, Mr. Mishra  raised the issue of Trust Deficit and how neither the Govt. nor Civil Society takes the Commission into confidence, and everyone suspects the activities of the Commission.  He made an emphatic appeal to all the participants to  pin trust on the Commission and come forward with any issue for resolution on board.   

 

 Only 7 days later, I had another, unique kind of experience with Mr. Jagadanand, SIC, Odisha. To start with, on 18.3.2012, I was invited as a Guest of Honour to a UGC sponsored National Seminar  on RTI  organized  by Choudwar College  where Mr. Jagadanand, State Information Commissioner was  the Chief Guest.  Due to some reasons best known to the College Authority,  my  name was removed  from the inaugural session  and  adjusted in the Plenary Session  as Chairman, which was  addressed  by  a group of Professors and lecturers of different colleges  and  Researchers on RTI.  Astonishingly, Mr. Jagadanand in his speech did not speak a single word on the "functioning of the Commission" or his role and activities as a State Information Commissioner. Rather he gave a lengthy speech sermonising  on how the people should use RTI for getting information, fighting corruption and redressing their grievances and so on.

 

Let us come to the basic issue. As per Section 15(4) of the RTI Act, the State Information Commission is to function independently without being subjected to directions by any authority. Similarly,   under Sections 18, 19 and 20, the Information Commission shall function as a quasi-judicial body to receive complaints/appeals from citizens, enquire and hear them, impose penalty against the defaulting PIOs and order compensation to the aggrieved citizens etc. Under Section 25 (5) of the RTI Act, the Commission shall make recommend to any public authority for bringing its conduct, if and where objectionable or deficient into conformity to the mandate of  the parent Act. 

 

 As is well known, the State Chief Information Commissioner is entitled to get the same amount of salary and allowances as that of an Election Commissioner of India, while  that of the State Information Commissioner   shall be equal to that of the Chief Secretary of the State.  As per latest information, the State Chief Information Commissioners and Information Commissioners are receiving around Rs. 2 lakh per month towards their salary, allowances, other perks taken together.

 

When such a huge money is paid towards the comfort and luxury of Information Commissioners from State Exchequer i.e. poor man's tax money,  each citizen has a right to know  what results they are getting in lieu of the same. It is also expected that the Commissioners, as and when they have an  opportunity to speak in the platforms like the above, should speak candidly about their performance and activities, so that  the citizens can know and react  to them in an informed manner. 

 

But we notice a completely negative trend   in Odisha.  The  State Information  Commissioner who happen to attend several seminars and workshops organized by so-called NGOs as Chief Guest  or Chief Speaker have been found  never sharing their  performance    in the public.  Rather they behave  messiah like  and issue commandments on  how the RTI activists and RTI  users should conduct themselves. In Oriya the Information Comissioner says, " Tume Gandhi  Gopabandhu Pari Lagipada, Suchana Ainaku Gaon gahalire Prachar Kara" ( You work as Gandhi and Gopabandhu and propagate about RTI across  the villages) .  Now the question arises, why the Commission maintains silence on their performance in public domain?  It is because, otherwise, their anti-RTI mindset and hypocrisy will be exposed in the public domain. Before coming to any public meeting, one Information Commissioner collects  so many information  through his private agents  about who are other  speakers coming  to the meeting to share platform with them.  The Information Commissioners were also found shaky in facing questions from the audiences  about their functioning. As a matter of fact, they speak of transparency but maintain secrecy about their activities. Unwarranted  activities  of the Commission like  low disposal of cases due to their inefficiency , asking BPL people to pay fees for information violating Section 7(5) of the RTI Act,  issuing summon to complainants,  disposing the cases  without  ensuring delivery of information to the applicant, not-imposing of fine  against  defaulting PIOs, misappropriating money  under so-called awareness programmes have invited wrath  of the RTI activists in the state which has been  reflected through series of complaints against the Commissioners submitted to Governor  and holding of demonstration  before  the office of the Commission itself.

 

Now the time has come that  the people should ask the Commissioners publicly about their performance in the context of RTI Act   whenever and wherever they come across  them   in any meeting or public platform.   Then only their performance could be subject to scrutiny and monitoring by the public.

Regards

Pradip Pradhan

M-99378-43482

Date- 1.4.2012