Mockery of CIC Order

As a result of four complaints filed by Pardarshita, Central Information Commission (CIC) gave orders to all Assistant Commissioners of Food and Supply Department (F&S) and Public Information Officers regarding suo moto disclosure of information under Right to Information Act and Public Distribution System (PDS) Control Order of 2001.

Today was fourth day of field visit to F&S Circle Offices in East Delhi. The purpose was to inspect compliance of CIC order of December 2009, asking all Circle Offices to display basic information on notice boards that is legible, prominently placed and complete, for instance, names of BPL cardholders, list of officers and their duties, procedure of making a ration card and so on. We covered Circle No. 56, 57 and 59 today in Dayanand Vihar, Kalyanvas, and found that there was either no information or incomplete information displayed on torn A-4 size sheets (not big notice boards), pasted on walls/boards at places where people wouldn’t even notice it or won’t be able to read it because the sketchy information was in English!

A copy of the inspection report made by Pardarshita members has been sent to Assistant Commissioner of F & S Department (East) besides CIC, hoping for quick action by all departments so that they display important information under Section 4 of the RTI Act.