Government refuses to return chief information commissioner's financial powers

NEW DELHI: In what is being seen as a major dent to the autonomy of the Central Information Commission (CIC), the BJP government has refused to return the financial powers to the newly-appointed chief information commissioner.

CIC, which is the final appellate authority for Right to Information (RTI) Act, has got a new chief information commissioner – Vijai Sharma – after over nine months. However, the new chief has got no financial powers. Sharma’s predecessor Rajiv Mathur had retired on August 22. Mathur had financial powers of sanctioning works upto Rs 25 crore. The day-to-day financial decisions between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 10 lakh were being taken by the additional secretary attached to CIC. However, after Mathur’s retirement, the department of personnel and training (DoPT), the nodal department for RTI matters, had taken away these powers.

These powers were returned to the commission in March this year. But in the absence of a chief information commissioner, the government gave these powers to secretary of the commission. However, even after Sharma has been appointed as the chief the financial powers still vest in the secretary.

Financial powers, according to RTI activists, are key to maintaining the autonomy and independence of CIC. RTI activist Lokesh Batra says, "The financial powers should vest in the chief information commissioner. Recently, the secretary was away for training and again the financial powers were exercised by DoPT secretary." Batra has been seeking access to files on financial powers of the chief under RTI Act but he has been told that the files dating back to 2005 are missing.

The RTI Act is quite clear that management of CIC has to be handled by the chief. Section 12 (4) of RTI Act says, "The general superintendence, direction and management of the affairs of the Central Information Commission shall vest in the Chief Information Commissioner who shall be assisted by the Information Commissioners and may exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things which may be exercised or done by the Central Information Commission autonomously without being subjected to directions by any other authority under this Act."

Newly-appointed chief Vijai Sharma did not make much of the controversy. "Maybe it is just an oversight by the government and the financial powers could be returned to the chief soon," he said.