The Indian Central Information Commission has taken a step to fight a backlog of cases and has decided that commissioners should disclose their assets.
The six commissioners are being asked to dispose of around 3,200 appeals and complaints every year, an increase from the 2010 average of 2,741, according to articles in The Times of India and The Hindu. The activity rate among the commissioners varies widely, it was reported, with commissioner Shailesh Gandhi resolving 4,599 appeals last year.
RTI activists praised the move, but said state commissions also should set quotas and noted that more appointments and better funding are also needed.
In another action, the commission decided unanimously to upload details of their assets on the CIC website and to update the information annually. Chief information commissioner Satyananda Mishra said, “We have taken a decision in March to voluntarily declare our assets on the website. We thought when there is nothing to hide, why not to place them in public domain. We hope state commissions will follow.”
The disclosures cover only “immovable property,” as pointed out by The Indian Express.
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