New Delhi: The Communist Party of India has sought time from Central Information Commission till general elections are over to respond to its notice seeking explanation for not setting up apparatus for processing RTI applications.
The Commission had recently issued notices to six national parties seeking details of action taken by them to implement RTI Act in accordance with its direction issued last year.
The Commission, a quasi-judicial body on RTI Act, had asked Congress, BJP, NCP, CPI-M, CPI and BSP to provide details of the actions within four weeks.
Responding to a representation from activities R K Jain seeking names and address of the CPIO and First Appellate Authority under the RTI Act, CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy said, "We are requesting the CIC to give us time till the elections as we are busy with the elections.
"In between, we are replying to all the enquiries of the RTI from our party. So far we have not appointed any CPIO or appellate authority."
Jain has also filed a complaint with the CIC against Congress President Sonia Gandhi for not implementing panel`s order.
A full bench of the Commission had declared that the six political parties were substantially funded indirectly by the central government and they have the character of public authority under the RTI Act as they perform public functions.
The Commission had given them six weeks to comply with norms of the RTI Act but so far none of the parties has followed the direction prompting RTI activist Subhash Agrawal, who was one of the petitioners in the case, to file the representations before it.
Following lack of action from six parties on implementing its orders, CIC issued notices to them seeking explanation within four weeks.
"It is directed that the detailed comments on the said representations received from Shri Agrawal and the details of the action taken on the directions contained in the Commission`s order of June 3, 2013 may be furnished to the Commission within four weeks. A copy of the comments should also be furnished to the complainant," the Commission said in a recent notice issued on the representation of Agrawal.
