22,956 second appeals, complaints pending in CIC: Centre tells Parliament

A total of 22,956 second appeals and complaints were pending in the Central Information Commission (CIC) as on November 29, the government informed Parliament on Thursday.

The total number of second appeals and complaints filed in the CIC during the period from 2021-22 to 2023-24 was 59,069, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

"As on 29.11.2024, total number of second appeals and complaints pending in CIC is 22,596," he said.

Further, a total of 36,787 second appeals and complaints were returned by the CIC during the period from 2022 to 2024, the minister added.

 

To a question on the number of vacancies in the transparency watchdog, Singh said "at present, the CIC comprises of Chief Information Commissioner and two Information Commissioners".

According to section 12(2) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, the CIC shall consist of the chief information commissioner and such number of central information commissioners, not exceeding 10, as may be deemed necessary.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had, on August 14, invited applications for the posts of information commissioners, not exceeding eight, in the CIC.

In response to the advertisement, 161 applications were received by the department by the due date, Singh said.

"In terms of section 15(1) read with section 2(a) of the RTI Act, 2005, implementation of various provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005, including appointment of State Information Commissioners in State Information Commissions, is the responsibility of the concerned state governments. No such data is centrally maintained," he said.