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Underlining the need for financial autonomy, Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra today demanded that the Government make Information Commissions at the Centre and in the states constitutional authorities on the lines of the CEC and CAG.
Speaking at the sixth annual convention of the Central Information Commission, Mishra expressed concern over absence of office building, financial autonomy and constitutional body status to transparency panels.
"It was reported the other day that the government might make Lokpal a Constitutional authority like the Election Commission. As far as its role and responsibility go, the Information Commission is no different and requires as much autonomy from the Government.
"If the Lokpal can be a constitutional authority, the CIC and SIC has a greater right and justification to be made into a Constitutional authority," he said.
Mishra asked the Centre to consider financial autonomy for the Central and State Information Commissions.
"We have no financial autonomy and have to depend on the government for day-to-day expenditure, however, big or small. It would strengthen the CIC greatly if the Government would consider making our budget charged just like the budget of CAG or the CEC," he said.
Mishra hoped the government would take immediate steps to provide a building, and as and when the Lokpal is made a constitutional authority, it make the CIC and the SICs a Constitutional authority.
Mishra said, "We do not have an regular office building and we operate from two separate locations. We need to have a building of our own and responsibility. We request the Government to provide one of the buildings vacated by the CBI or any such building for our office."
On the issue of proactive disclosures under the RTI Act, he asked the public authorities for preparing a "negative list" of records which cannot be place in public domain and place rest of them on their website as it will reduce the number of RTI applications.
He said for the rest, RTI route could be used by the information seekers.
Taking note of the attacks on RTI activists across the country, he asked the state police to take steps to curb such attacks.
Speaking during the program, Minister of State for Personnel and Training V Narayanasamy said credit for implementing the RTI Act must be given to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
He said transparency is paramount for the Government functioning for curbing corruption and most of the Central Information Commission decisions have been accepted by the Government.
Narayanasamy said the e-governance project will help in achieving transparency in the working of the government and bring more information in public domain thus reducing the numbers of the RTI applications.
Speaking at the sixth annual convention of the Central Information Commission, Mishra expressed concern over absence of office building, financial autonomy and constitutional body status to transparency panels.
"It was reported the other day that the government might make Lokpal a Constitutional authority like the Election Commission. As far as its role and responsibility go, the Information Commission is no different and requires as much autonomy from the Government.
"If the Lokpal can be a constitutional authority, the CIC and SIC has a greater right and justification to be made into a Constitutional authority," he said.
Mishra asked the Centre to consider financial autonomy for the Central and State Information Commissions.
"We have no financial autonomy and have to depend on the government for day-to-day expenditure, however, big or small. It would strengthen the CIC greatly if the Government would consider making our budget charged just like the budget of CAG or the CEC," he said.
Mishra hoped the government would take immediate steps to provide a building, and as and when the Lokpal is made a constitutional authority, it make the CIC and the SICs a Constitutional authority.
Mishra said, "We do not have an regular office building and we operate from two separate locations. We need to have a building of our own and responsibility. We request the Government to provide one of the buildings vacated by the CBI or any such building for our office."
On the issue of proactive disclosures under the RTI Act, he asked the public authorities for preparing a "negative list" of records which cannot be place in public domain and place rest of them on their website as it will reduce the number of RTI applications.
He said for the rest, RTI route could be used by the information seekers.
Taking note of the attacks on RTI activists across the country, he asked the state police to take steps to curb such attacks.
Speaking during the program, Minister of State for Personnel and Training V Narayanasamy said credit for implementing the RTI Act must be given to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
He said transparency is paramount for the Government functioning for curbing corruption and most of the Central Information Commission decisions have been accepted by the Government.
Narayanasamy said the e-governance project will help in achieving transparency in the working of the government and bring more information in public domain thus reducing the numbers of the RTI applications.
