CIC to go digital from next year

The transparency panel has directed the concerned officials to prepare a time-line for making modifications in the current workflow module of the Commission regarding "paperless transaction of the quasi-judicial activity".

Chief Information Commissioner A N Tiwari has said that as the first step, all complaints and appeals received at the Central Registry (CR) of the Commission will be converted in a digital form by scanning them.

They will be sent electronically to the registries of respective information commissioners by the CR and will be disposed of in a similar manner by them, Tiwari directed. The method is being used by the Registry of Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi on project basis.

At present, appeals and complaints are segregated according to information commissioners' office and sent to them in paper form. Keeping record keeping of such large number of applications is a time taking and cumbersome process which delays the delivery of these complaints and appeals to concerned information commissioners.

Tiwari, soon after taking over the charge on October 1, had assured that increasing efficiency of the Central Registry will be his top priority. The Commission in its latest meeting decided that till the time the process becomes smooth, CR section may continue sending receipts physically as well.

"Any handholding in terms of training and other assistance that may be necessary for working on the proposed workflow module be provided by the secretariat if so indicated," the order said.

The committee of Information Commissioners M L Sharma and Shailesh Gandhi had submitted their report about working of Central Registry in which they had said there were adequate staff in CR section and there was no reason why the existing work force cannot attend to all diary-related work relating to dak (average 300 dak per day).

"The present staff members can continue to enter basic input in the database at the rate of around 400-475 daks per day," the committee said. The Committee suggested that the room where CR section is housed needs revamping in terms of infrastructure, redoing of signage and provision of power backup.

The recommendations were approved and it was directed that CR section be provided with all basic infrastructure.