The West Bengal State Information Commission (WBSIC) is yet to submit its annual reports of 2010-11 and 2011-12 to the state Assembly. On being contacted, state chief information commissioner Sujit Sarkar acknowledged the default in submitting the annual reports but failed to give a deadline as to when these reports will be submitted with the Assembly.
The WBSIC is under the administrative control of department of personnel and administrative reforms of the state government which is headed by chief minister Mamata Banerjee herself. The chief minister’s office monitors the submission of annul reports very closely as it provides vital information relating to the activities of the organisation. Besides, these reports are extensively used by various stake holders including the organisations dealing with RTI (Right to Information) activities. Delay in bringing out these reports is inviting huge criticism from these outfits. The reports provide vital information like as to how many petitions were received and disposed off by the commission year-wise. “In the absence of these reports, there is no data available in public domain to monitor the activities of the commission,” said an organisation dealing with RTI-related activities.
RTI applicants and public authorities are quite upset with the functioning of the WBSIC. The commission is failing in keeping its records in order and the reports which are being submitted by public authorities and RTI applicants are not being reflected in the records of the commission many a time. “It is quite irritating and the information which has been provided is being asked again and again. It also results in lots of delays,” said an organisation.