Karnataka: 50% drop in RTI case hearings, pending cases breach 30,000-mark

The Karnataka Information Commission (KIC), known for hearing close to 50 cases a day per bench over the last decade, seems to have reduced its pace. Hearings of pending Right to Information (RTI) cases in Karnataka have seen a drop by 50 per cent and the disposal of pending cases has reached the 30,000-mark.

According to a report by Bangalore Mirror, Some RTI activists have even stopped filing appeals. The activists say they have lost hope of getting early relief from the commission.

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Comprising 11 benches including that of the chief commissioner, the KIC was known for hearing around 50 cases a day per bench for over a decade. This has come down to around 20 to 30 cases now the report added.

The chief commissioner himself disposes of only 400-odd cases a month according to documents accessed by the newspaper. The remaining benches, of which three are vacant, clear just 100 to 200 cases a month. This has resulted in a massive backlog, disappointing thousands of RTI applicants.

An analysis by the Right to Information Study Centre, for the month of September 2021, showed the commission heard a total of just 3,968 cases in 30 days. Out of the 3,968 cases, the KIC disposed of 1,409 cases and the remaining 2,559 cases were either adjourned or judgement orders were reserved.

The analysis revealed the delay in hearing and disposing of cases cost a lot. The commission’s average expenditure to hear a single case has gone up to Rs 1,209. The expense to dispose of a case is Rs 3,406. The costs were arrived at after calculating the salaries and other benefits of the commissioners and supporting staff the report added.

BH Veeresh, a trustee of the centre, claims the commission has become useless. “What is the point of getting information after a delay of two years? The commission does not pass orders on a simple case where the applicant has only sought a work order issued to a particular project. Ideally, this piece of information should have been on the website,” he told Bangalore Mirror. He added that the delay protects the corrupt officials.

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RTI activist Amaresh has stopped filing appeals. “The commission has been picking the cases it wants; not going by seniority of the appeals. It takes as much as 6-8 months just to issue show-cause notices to the relevant officers. The unholy nexus of the commission and corrupt officials is quite clear,” he said.

Chief Commissioner NC Srinivasa, however, reasoned ‘poor quality’ of staff and lack of manpower for the delay in case hearings. “It’s not enough that the commission has a good building and enough benches. We do not have good typists and stenographers as all of them are outsourced. Of the sanctioned staff strength of 141, more than 30 posts are vacant,” he clarified.

“We have prepared a draft of the Cadre and Recruitment (C&R) rules for the KIC. Once the government approves it, we will hire professionals and dispose of the 30,000-odd pending cases,” Srinivasa added.

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