Human rights body could function as RTI panel, moots SC
Context: The Supreme Court mooted whether the Chairpersons of Human Rights Commissions of States with low traffic of Right to Information (RTI) appeals could be given additional responsibility of acting as Chief Information Commissioners (CICs) till there is an increase in workload.
- “Suppose it is just 100 appeals pending in a State Information Commission… Any institution you create is a burden on the public exchequer. Taxpayers’ money must be spent on development activities or something… Why not in such States, as an ad-hoc mechanism, the power of the Information Commissions be given to the State Human Rights Commissions?” Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, heading a three-judge Bench, asked advocates Prashant Bhushan and Rahul Gupta for the petitioners.
- The court was hearing a petition filed by petitioners Anjali Bhardwaj, Commodore Lokesh Batra (retired) and Amrita Johri, seeking timely and transparent appointments to the Information Commissions under the RTI Act.
- The Chief Justice said the “ad-hoc mechanism” could continue till the number of RTI appeals increases in “due course of time”.