Bangalore has most number of info seekers

BANGALORE: Every third petition pending before the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC), the Right to Information (RTI) watchdog in the state, is filed by an overzealous Bangalorean.
Bangalore district alone accounts for some 40% of the state's total pending requests for information under the five-year-old RTI Act. In all, 12,975 petitions are pending before the KIC.
Fresh data collated by the KIC this month shows that relatively backward districts of North Karnataka have a high number of information seekers.After Bangalore, Raichur (607) and Gulbarga (604) have the next highest number of pending cases, indicating that the clamour for information is high among the rural class. Over 50% of the total RTI petitions in the state pertain to just two departments -- urban development, which includes BBMP, and revenue.
The data, pulled out in the wake of the appointment of five new information commissioners earlier this year, shows that just six out of 30 districts in the state have less than 100 pending petitions each.
Desperate to reduce the pendency of appeals and complaints, the KIC has now asked each of its seven commissioners to hear at least 12 fresh cases a day. "For a long time, the KIC did not have a chief and no new appointments were made. Now, with the appointment of new commissioners, we have decided to hear at least 12 new cases every day. This will substantially bring down waiting time for final orders to be issued," information commissioner H N Krishna told TOI.
HEARINGS TO DISPOSE OF CASES
The commission has also been holding hearings at district headquarters for faster disposal of cases. "Whenever there are a large number of pending petitions by a single applicant or it involves a single public authority, we club all the cases and hold hearings at the district level. I will be travelling to Mandya and Mysore this week, where 60-70 cases are expected to be disposed of in a single day," Krishna said.
The commission had earlier recommended setting up of division benches in the three revenue divisions of the state -- Mysore, Belgaum and Gulbarga. The proposal is awaiting a nod from the department of public administration and reforms (Janaspandana). B H Veeresha, city-based RTI activist, advocates Lok Adalats to dispose of pending RTI petitions. "As a one-time measure, there should be Lok Adalats involving RTI activists to clear pending petitions. This will substantially bring down the pending cases and the commission can focus on fresh cases," he said. Currently, there are 2,619 past-heard cases and 10,356 fresh cases pending before the KIC.
TOP FIVE DISTRICTS WITH A PILE-UP OF FRESH CASES
Bangalore -- 4,367
Raichur -- 607
Gulbarga -- 604
Tumkur -- 561
Kolar -- 408
Bangalore Rural -- 407
Source: KIC