Transparency at Crossroads: CIC's Mounting Workload Revealed

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has a backlog of 22,956 second appeals and complaints. Between 2021-22 and 2023-24, 59,069 cases were filed. The government aims to address the issue by inviting applications for additional information commissioners, highlighting the need for increased transparency resources.

A significant backlog looms over the Central Information Commission (CIC) as the government revealed that 22,956 second appeals and complaints remain unresolved as of November 29. This disclosure was made to Parliament, emphasizing the growing workload of the transparency watchdog.

Between the fiscal years 2021-22 and 2023-24, a total of 59,069 appeals and complaints were submitted to the CIC. Despite these overwhelming numbers, the agency managed to address 36,787 cases during the 2022 to 2024 period, Union Minister Jitendra Singh reported.

The current composition of the CIC includes a Chief Information Commissioner and two Information Commissioners, leading to a call for more appointments. In August, 161 applications were received for eight new positions, aiming to bolster the commission and alleviate the backlog.

(With inputs from agencies.)