Central Information Commission returned over 8,500 pleas

NEW DELHI: The Central Information Commission ( CIC) has returned 8,534 cases — almost 15% of the cases received — to applicants over eight months on technical grounds.

An analysis of CIC data conducted by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative reveals that CIC has increasingly been returning appeals and complaints to the applicants since June. The number of cases returned has shown a steady upward trend since January with most number of cases — 1,800 or 21.68% — being returned in July. As first reported by ET on October 9, the number of cases being registered by CIC has witnessed a 96% fall over just four months as increasingly the transparency watchdog has been returning the cases to the applicants on technical grounds.

The analysis reveals that between January and August, CIC had received 57,574 cases. It returned 14.82% or 8,534 of the appeals received by it. Activists have pointed out that the number of cases being returned has coincided with new chief information commissioner Vijai Sharma assuming office. According to sources, Sharma has issued instructions to ask applicants to furnish photo identity proof along with the applications.

This follows a 2012 order of Punjab and Haryana high court that had asked the state information commission to seek photo proof along with applications but this directive was not issued to CIC.