Over 13,000 cases pending for over a year in CIC

Grant of funds and establishing helplines part of plans to improve the implementation of the RTI Act, 2005

There are over 13,000 cases pending with the Central Information Commission (CIC) for more than a year, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.

"Total number of pending cases for more than one year is 13,453," Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply.

Transparency watchdog CIC has registered 14,523 second appeal/complaints during 2019-20 (till November 20), he said, adding that of these, 11,117 were disposed.

A total of 22,736 such cases were registered during 2018-19, of which 17,188 were disposed. In 2017-18, the CIC had registered 25,815 second appeals and complaints and disposed 29,005 cases (including previous pending cases).

As many as 23,811 such cases were filed in 2016-17 and the Commission disposed 32,344 cases (including cases pending previously).

Singh said the government has been taking steps to improve implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2005, including grant of funds to various state governments for establishing helplines in order to facilitate obtaining of information by RTI applicants.

"Funds are provided each year to various state administrative training institutes (ATIs) by the government to help generate awareness about RTI among the citizens of the country through measures like distance learning programmes and online certificate course in regional languages, publishing of handbooks on RTI and distribution of the same among the public. State Information Commissions (SICs) are also provided funds each year for celebration of RTI week," the minister said.