[HumJanenge] URGENT: Sir, Concerning Mr. Basant Seth's order which is agitating all RTI activists

To:
Shri Satyananada Misra ji
Hon'ble Chief Information Commissioner of India
Central Information Commission at New Delhi
August Kranti Bhawan

21-Jan-2013

Respected Sir

URGENT / BY EMAIL

Sub: Order of Mr. Basant Seth in CIC/SM/A/2012/900133/BS/1683 dated 15.Jan.2013 titled as "Shri Ishan Chunder versus CPIO/EPFO"

I am constrained to inform you that the RTI activists all over the country are greatly agitated by the order/decision of Ld. Information Commissioner Mr.Basant Seth in the above cited matter, which is viewed as a blatant attempt to dilute the statutory powers of the Commission with a view to have the CIC closed down or out-sourced to the retired Judiciary.

The activists who were present at the recent CIC Convention clearly recall your opening speech, alluding to the Namit Sharma judgment, where you had mentioned that the Information Commissioners had always possessed the judicial mind, and we therefore view such orders/decisions as occasional aberrations, unless they are allowed to stand.

Accordingly, I would request you to kindly list/discuss this order (and its attendant issues) tomorrow afternoon at the weekly Tuesday meeting, or to refer this matter to a larger Bench and allow all interested persons to intervene.

We are also given to understand that Ld. Information Commissioner Ms. Sushma Singh is also passing similar orders, and there are apparently oral instructions issued to clear the CIC's humungous backlog pending till April 2012 by such despicable anti-citizen methods so as to befool the Parliament when the CIC's Annual Report is drawn up.

I may also mention that the new CIC Rules cannot be applied retrospectively.

With best wishes for the New Year 2013

yours faithfully

Sarbajit Roy
National Convenor - India Against Corruption
B-59 Defence Colony
New Delhi - 110024
Tel : 011-24334262