ASEEM TAKYAR Vs. STATE OF HARYANA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS PIL has been filed essentially seeking a direction from the Court for filling up vacant posts of Information Commissioners in the State of Haryana as provided in Section 15 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 (for short 'the Act'). Under the aforesaid provisions of the Act, it is provided that the State Information Commission shall consist of the State Chief Information Commissioner and such number of State Information Commissioners, not exceeding 10, as may be notified.

(2.) IT appears that at present apart from the State Chief Information Commissioner, there are three State Information Commissioners, though the learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that one of the three State Information Commissioners may have retired in the meantime. The number of cases of all kinds pending before the Commission is almost 2500. In these circumstances, according to the petitioner, there is necessity for filling up more posts of State Information Commissioners so that the pending work can be handled efficiently.

(3.) THE task assigned to the State i.e. to find out what is the precise number of additional posts that are required to be filled up is certainly not a difficult task. As the State has failed to respond to the queries made by the Court, we are of the view that instead of granting any further opportunity to the State, the Court must proceed and decide the matter.