HYDERABAD: With the number of pending appellate cases in Andhra Pradesh Information Commission (APIC) crossing 12,000 in March this year, RTI activists are up in arms against the non-appointment of the proposed 8 Information Commissioners. It may be recalled that four of the eight nominees sent by the chief minister to the governor were rejected. Stating that the delay was causing excessive damage to the reputation of the RTI Act, Mazher Hussain, director COVA said that it was sending a wrong message to lower-ranked officials. “The government officers are not cooperating if we file an RTI application. They know that the number of appeals with the APIC has caused a huge waiting period and so are least bothered even if we appeal to the commission about their inaction”, he clarified.
Kaki Madhav Rao, former chief secretary, AP government, said that people were losing interest in the entire purpose of RTI due to delay and the government could do well to reinstate the commissioners before bypolls. “Starting now we are putting the government on notice. If the government fails to appoint commissioners through proper protocol, we are going to court within a week”, he added. Asking the media for better support on the same, he said that no government could be so unresponsive to reports in media, even if recent incidents had proved otherwise.
CJ Karira, RTI activist also claimed that despite filing RTIs with the General Administration Department (GAD) and the governor’s office, no reply could be got as to the present status of the file which has the list of nominees.