THROUGH E-MAIL
FOLLOWED WITH BY POST
04 OCTOBER 2012
To:
01. Chief Information Commissioner,
State Information Commission Punjab,
SCO 84-85, Sector 17-C
Chandigarh
160017
02. A copy of this mail may please be forwarded along with attachment to:
All Information Commissioner in the
State information Commission Punjab
Chandigarh.
PATHETIC SITUATION OF DISPOSAL OF COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS IN THE
STATE INFORMATION COMMISSION PUNJAB SINCE 14 SEPTEMBER 2012
Hon'ble Sir,
On watching the website of the Punjab State Information Commission, it is apparent that the commission is in a holidaying mood after the Judgement of 13 September 2012 [in WP(C)210 of 2012] of Hon'ble Supreme Court.
The commissions are passing the stock order in all the cases and adjourning the hearing for future dates without hearing the parties present (leaving aside the rare exceptions).
Moreover, even the orders are not posted on the website of the commission regularly. The position of the posting of the orders of the commission as on 09:55 P.M. ON 04 OCTOBER 2012 is as under:
The list of the defaulters is lead by Sh Narinderjit Singh, State Information Commissioner. The last order posted in his case of was on 12 September 2012. Followed by Ms. Jaspal Kaur, on 13 September 2012 and that of your honour was on 14 September 2012.
The most punctual are Sh. Chander Parkash and Sh. Harinderpal Singh Maan, with the posting of the orders on the website and their orders even of today's (04 October 2012) hearings are online, though they are mere adjournments. Sh. Surinder Awasthi, Sh. Satinder Pal Singh and Sh. B.C. Thakur were just a day behind in posting their order, which were uploaded upto 03 October 2012. Sh. Ravinder Singh Nagi and Sh. Parveen Kumar are lagging behind at 26 September 2012 and 27 September 2012, respectively.
The consolidated position of the posting of the orders by various commissions is depicted in the table below:
CONSOLIDATED POSITION OF LAST UPLOADED ORDERS OF
THE STATE INFORMATION COMMISSION PUNJAB AS AT 09:55 P.M. ON 04 OCTOBER 2012
| SR. | LAST UPLOADED ORDERS | COMMISSIONER | COURT NO. | TIME | DOWN- LOAD ORDER |
| 01 | Sep 12, 2012 | Sh Narinderjit Singh | In Chamber | 11.00 AM | |
| 02 | Sep 13, 2012 | Mrs Jaspal Kaur | In Chamber | 11.00 AM | |
| 03 | Sep 14, 2012 | Sh. R.I.Singh,CIC | In Chamber | 11.00 AM | |
| 04 | Sep 26, 2012 | Sh. Ravinder Singh Nagi | Court 1 | 02.00 PM | |
| 05 | Sep 27, 2012 | Sh Parveen Kumar | Court 1 | 02.00 PM | |
| 06 | Oct 03, 2012 | Sh Satinder Pal Singh | Court 1 | 10.30 AM | |
| 07 | Oct 03, 2012 | Sh. B.C. Thakur | In Chamber | 11.00 AM | |
| 08 | Oct 03, 2012 | Sh Surinder Awasthi | In Chamber | 10.30 AM | |
| 09 | Oct 04, 2012 | Sh. Chander Parkash | In Chamber | 10.30 AM | |
| 10 | Oct 04, 2012 | Sh Harinderpal Singh Maan | Court 2 | 11.00 AM |
In support of the above data regarding the posting of the orders on the website of the commission, the screen shot of the http://www.infocommpunjab.com/Orders2012.aspx page of the website of the Punjab State Information Commission is attached with this mail and is also reproduced below:
SCREEN SHOT OF THE WEB-PAGE OF THE
STATE INFORMATION COMMISSION PUNJAB
AS AT 09:55 P.M. ON 04 OCTOBER 2012
It is observed that, post 13 September 2012, slackness is ruling the commission and the entire commission (exceptions aside) seems to be in the paid holidaying mood, at the taxpayers' expenses, unmindful of the plight of the appellants/complainant who have knocked the doors of the commission in the hope of getting justice from it.
"Justice delayed is justice denied" is a legal maxim meaning that if legal redress is available for a party that has suffered some grievance, but is not forthcoming in a timely fashion, it is effectively the same as having no redress at all. This principle is the basis for the right to a speedy trial and similar rights which are meant to expedite the legal system, because it is unfair for the aggrieved party to have to sustain the grievance with little hope for resolution.
It is understandable that in between seeking justice and deliverance of justice there are a lot of pre-requisites and formalities of rules and regulations and prescribed procedures governing proceedings of the court time consuming but unavoidable for the purpose. It is rather a precondition governing the procedures that the respondents in civil matters and accused in the criminal cases be given reasonable opportunity to defend themselves.
But in the instant case, as a fall out of Supreme Court Judgement dated 13 September 2012 in WP(C) 210 of 2012, it is not the procedural system that is resulting in the delay of delivery of the justice, but the sort of striking work on flimsy grounds by those who are under obligation to ensure that the justice is not only delivered but it must seems to have been delivered.
The justice as such, in the Punjab State Information Commission is becoming costlier, in terms of time and money. Since the citizens are left in lurch by the commissions with illegitimate adjournments, their work is delayed and justice goes out of their reach. It is very shameful that as many as 1715 cases are pending in the commission as on 30 September 2012 (as per data uploaded on the website of the commission: http://www.infocommpunjab.com/Status.aspx) and commission is holidaying unmindful of the plights of the appellant and complainants.
The apparatus at Punjab State Information Commission has become callous, heartless insensitive and near collaps, and it has no serious stake in speeding up the process except to save their own positions as commissioners in the wake of Supreme Court Judgement dated 13 September 2012 in WP(C) 210 of 2012 – the conduct which is highly impropriety in nature and stature of the Information Commissioners. It is more so, while so many other commissions are working as usual under the similar circumstances.
A copy of this mail may please be forwarded to all the State Information Commissioners
Very cordially yours,
Surendera M. Bhanot
Co-ordinator, RTIFED
No. 3758, Sector 22-D, Chandigarh-160022
Mob: 919-888-810-811
Mail me at: bhanot1952@gmail.com
(This is an e-mail communication in electric form and does not require the signature)
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