Maha SCIC remains unresponsive to the complaint of citizen activists
By Prajakta Chavan Rane
@Prajakta43
Mumbai: Demanding Maharashtra Chief State Information Commission (SIC) to conduct urgent hearings within 48 hours for COVID related matters, former Central Information Commissioner (CIC) Shailesh Gandhi has submitted a complaint under Section 18 (1) (f) to Chief State Information Commissioner Sumit Mullick on Monday.
Following the Madras High Court directives to constitute a special bench of both the State Information Commission and Central Information Commission to deal with Right to Information (RTI) requests related to Covid-19 issues, the citizen activists in Maharashtra are demanding a hearing on COVID-related queries on a priority basis, and also directives to the state government for suo motu declaration of COVID-related information under section 4 of Right To Information (RTI) Act on the government website.
“We received these suggestions from citizen activists across Maharashtra on RTI Katta – the online weekly initiative held every Sunday. Accordingly, we have submitted the letter to CSIC Sumit Mullick but so far there is no response,” stated Shailesh Gandhi, former Central Information Commissioner.
The complaint suggests the government declare a hospital list with the availability of COVID-beds including the number of beds available for Below Poverty Level (BPL) in charitable hospitals with classification — oxygen beds, non-oxygen beds, and ventilator beds, stock of various life-saving medicines required in COVID and mucormycosis.
The daily distribution of various vaccines to vaccination centres. The stock availability for various vaccines i.e. Covishield, Covaxin, Sputnik, and Pfizer at all vaccination centres. The hospitals’ vaccination completed and daily cumulative figures, the total amount from budget allocated fund spent on the date & till date, details of allocation on purchase of all vaccines on the date and till date. Projected supply versus actual doses supplied on & till date to the state.
“We are demanding suo motu declaration of COVID-related information including availability of beds, life-saving medicines, and vaccinations for the last 2-4 months from the state government, but there is no response,” stated Vijay Kumbhar, RTI activist and Pune-based Journalist.
Disappointing with the delayed conduct of State Information Commission, Gandhi said, “It is disheartening that in times of global pandemic crises, our Chief Information Commissioner is non-responsive to the High Court directives.” Repeated calls to SCIC Sumit Mullick, were not answered and a message was not replied to.
When contacted by thenews21, acknowledging the complaint Mullick stated, “A complaint has been sent to Maharashtra Chief Secretary for a reply. Besides, we have not received any COVID related RTI application at Chief State Information Commission or at other Information Commissions in the state.”
