CIC issues notice to six political parties on non-compliance

New Delhi, Feb 10: Central Information Commission has issued notices to six national parties seeking details of action taken by them to implement

Act in accordance with its directions issued last year.

The Commission, a quasi-judicial body on RTI Act, asked Congress, BJP, NCP, CPI-M, CPI and BSP to provide details of the actions within four weeks. 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.

"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 the notice issued on the representation of Agrawal.

The CIC had directed the parties to appoint Public Information Officers within six weeks to respond to RTI queries and adhere to all the legal provisions.

"In view of the nature of public functions performed by political parties... we conclude that political parties in question are public authorities under section 2(h) of the RTI Act," the Bench, comprising Chief Information Commissioner Satyanand Mishra and Information Commissioners Annapurna Dixit and M L Sharma, had said.

PTI