E-filing Appeals and Complaints at CIC–Signed Copy Procedure

Date: 08-01-2012                                                   

To,

Chief Information Commissioner

Central Information Commission,

August Kranti Bhavan, Bhikaji Cama Place,

New Delhi - 110 066

Email: s.mishra@nic.in

Dear Sir,

Subject: E-filing Appeals and Complaints –Signed Copy Procedure

I extend my good wishes for new year 2012 to you and all staff at CIC and their families.

Whenever appeals or complaints are efiled at www.rti.india.gov.in, such appeals/complaints are kept pending for want of signed copy. The status shows “Signed copy awaited”

02. In fact most of the appellants/complainants cannot decipher what above status means. No instruction flashes on website after submitting appeal/complaint, which guides appellant/complainant that signed hard copy of  print-out of downloaded appeal/complaint has to be sent to CIC. This delays admission of appeal/complaints and also gives rise to avoidable confusion.

03. It is experienced that even after repeated mailing of signed copies through registered or speed post, appeals/complaints are not admitted and status continues to show that signed copy is awaited.

04. There is possibility of maneuvering by staff of CIC to delay or frustrate admission of appeals/complaints even when signed copy is received by CIC.

05. Appellants/complainants are required to track delivery of speed post at www.indiapost.gov.in or await AD of registered post and then trace diary number at CIC website and then represent again to Dy. Registrar of concerned IC. This is time consuming, irritating even to educated and tech-savvy citizens. You can guess what would be happening to common citizen of this country.

06. I could not comprehend rationale in seeking signed copy. If it is for authenticity, then the present system does not meet the requirement, since imposter can sign print-out and mail to CIC. CIC has no mechanism [nor it requires] to verify signatures on signed print-outs.

07. I have my own reservations, as to number of signed print-out copies that are being really scrutinized by CIC staff.

08. Thus signed copy procedure does not serve any purpose but only creates delays, maneuvering by CIC staff, increases workload at CIC, causes inconvenience and increases cost to appellants/complainants for postal charges and auto or petrol charges for visiting post offices. The very purpose of e-filing gets defeated by such a system.

09. Banks accept unsigned emails from customers for non-monetary transactions and complaints etc. Directorate of Public Grievances and website of President of India do not require such signed copies when complaints are efiled. Most of central and state Govt departments reply to emails without waiting or insisting for signed copies. E-filing has sanction of law for evidences etc without signed hardcopies.

10.  If at all CIC is so keen on authentication etc of appeals and complaints, it can provide that all papers created by appellants/complainants [e.g. RTI application, first appeal, second appeal or complaint etc] should be signed by him and scanned copy in pdf format should only be uploaded while efiling. Thus CIC will have all the papers [including replies of CPIO and FAA etc] duly singed by concerned appellants/complainant and officers of public authority. This will not necessitate submission of signed copy of print-outs and hence appeals/complaints can be admitted without delay.

 11. My humble suggestion is to do away with system of signed copy. This will improve service of CIC and appellants/complainants will be relived of unnecessary delay, cost and inconvenience of signed copy business. It will also reduce workload of CIC staff in receiving, opening, handling dak, distribution, reading [or say scrutinizing] it and filing in the docket, storing, weeding out etc. This will save environment, since less papers will be used.

Yours faithfully,

J. P. Shah

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The basis of every law or every rule OR EVERY EXERCISE OF DISCRETION or every decision govt. or govt. agencies take, is on the premise of greatest good of the greatest number of people.