Central Information Commission to get new office in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Transparency-watchdog Central Information Commission ( CIC) will soon get a new office in the national capital, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said today.

Land has been allocated to the CIC at the old JNU campus and the estimated cost of construction is around Rs 42.53 crore.

"The added feature of the complex would be that all the offices related to the CIC would be housed under single roof in the same premises," said Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, after newly appointed Chief Information Commissioner Vijai Sharma met him.

Presently, CIC has two offices, one at old JNU campus and other at Bhikaji Cama Place, but they lack space.

Singh said the government was committed to bring in maximum transparency and therefore, facilitating easy and conducive functioning of the CIC was a step in that direction.

He said emphasis on e-governance and placing all the relevant information in public domain has considerably improved transparency as well as accountability.

Refuting criticism in certain quarters that there was undue delay in disposing off RTI applications, Singh said that a mechanism will be evolved in course of time for their early disposal.

"The very fact that the RTI applications are increasing day-by-day is also a tribute to healthy democratic functioning and the readiness of the government to respond to every request for information to be placed in public domain," he said.

Sharma informed the Minister that, as on date, the number of RTI complaints and appeals were quite high but different methods were being worked out to reduce the pendency.

There were 40,387 appeals and complaints pending disposal in the CIC, according to an official data as on today.

Sharma also discussed the plans to observe the 10th anniversary of enactment of RTI Act, which is on October 12, this year.