CIC, two Information Commissioners working in transparency watchdog: Government
The Central Information Commission currently operates with significant staffing shortages, functioning with only three of its ten authorized commissioners. This chronic understaffing hampers the effective handling of right-to-information appeals, potentially delaying public access to critical government data. The vacancies stem from regular turnover, yet the government has no clear timeline for filling remaining positions. Consequently, the transparency watchdog struggles to maintain efficient processing of citizen queries, undermining the prompt resolution of information requests. This situation is vital for open data advocacy, as under-resourced commissions directly impact accountability. Robust staffing is essential to ensure that transparency mechanisms function reliably, allowing citizens to hold authorities accountable and access information without undue bureaucratic delays.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.comPublished on 2024-07-26