New Delhi, Dec 3 (IANS) Admitting that the problem of manpower shortage was raised by the Central and State Information Commissions at the recently held fourth national Right to Information (RTI) convention, the government Thursday informed Rajya Sabha that 116 posts has been sanctioned for the Central Information Commission (CIC).
In a written reply, Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Prithviraj Chavan said: “The central government has sanctioned 116 posts for the CIC. The Commission has constituted a committee to assess its staff requirement. The government shall examine the report of the committee as and when received.”

“The commission has been allotted space in Delhi. A plot of land has also been allotted for construction of a building of the Commission. Staffing and providing accommodation and other facilities to the State Information Commissions (SIC) are the responsibility of the state governments,” he added.

He further said: “However, the central government is providing some assistance to the SICs under a centrally sponsored scheme.”

At the recently held convention, CIC and SICs had highlighted the problems faced by them in terms of sparse office premises, lack of basic office equipments/furniture and manpower including low budgetary provisions.

Chavan was replying to a question in the the Rajya Sabha that was posed to the prime minister.

- Indo-Asian News Service

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