Online facilities of the State Information Commissions

The State Information Commissions (SICs) provide various online facilities to the appellants, complainants and public authorities on their respective websites. These online facilities vary from SIC to SIC. The facilities that are being provided are as under:

• Madhya Pradesh State Information Commission (MPSIC)

Madhya Pradesh State Information Commission has set up a gievance redressal forum @ 94250-14008, where applicants can whatsapp or call or send messages between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on working days, for information on registration details, next date of hearing, proceedings of previous hearings and copies of orders or directions which can be sought both in Hindi and English.

• Tamil Nadu State Information Commission (TIC):

Tamil Nadu State Information Commission provides online facility of filing RTI second appeals @ http://www.tnsic.gov.in/petitions/otp-login. Aadhar card number is mandatory for filing the online RTI second appeal.

• Karnataka State Information Commission (KIC):

-KIC has released a mobile application for android devices which provides information on case status, cause list, General Receipt status. The application can be downloaded through the link provided on the KIC’s website @  http://www.kic.gov.in/sic1cv.do .

-KIC also provides online facility for filing online RTI Application, if the citizen wants to seek information from KIC.

• Chhattisgarh State Information Commission (CSIC):

Chhattisgarh State Information Commission provides the facility of know your case status @ http://cg.nic.in/siccg/kya_status.php.

• Gujarat State Information Commission (GSIC):

Gujarat State Information Commission provides online facility of filing RTI Appeal and RTI complaint @ http://gic.gujarat.gov.in/front-page/eApplication.aspx

• Uttar Pradesh Information Commission (UPIC):

Uttar Pradesh State Information Commission provides the facility for finding the case status of a complaint and appeal filed to it by registration number, case number and mobile number @ http://www.upic.co.in/casestatusdetails.aspx

• Tripura Information Commission (TIC):

Tripura Information Commission provides online facility of filing RTI Appeal and RTI complaint directly with it @ http://tripurarti.nic.in/TIC_Online.php.

• Punjab State Information Commission (PSIC):

Provides video-conferencing facility covering all the 22 districts of Punjab. The complainants, appellants and the public authorities are not required to come to the office of the Commission at Chandigarh to attend hearings. Hearings instead are conducted in the office, of the respective Deputy Commissioner. PSIC also provides the facility of checking the case status online @ http://www.infocommpunjab.com/.

• Odisha Information Commission (OIC):

Provides online facility of filing RTI Appeal and RTI complaint directly with it. Appellant can also check his complaint/appeal status. It also provides the facility of filing online RTI Application and First Appeal in OIC @ http://orissasoochanacommission.nic.in/(S(y2gqoivy42uzdv55hlb0if45))/default.aspx

• Uttarakhand Information Commission (UIC):

Provides online facility of filing RTI Appeal and RTI complaint directly with it. Case status can be checked online. UIC also maintains an RTI Appeal Management System and Complaint Management System @ http://uic.gov.in/.

• Haryana Information Commission (HIC):

Provides the facility of checking the case status @ http://cicharyana.gov.in/.

• Maharashtra Information Commission (MIC):

Provides the facility of filing online second appeal to it and checking the appeal status of the appeals filed in respect of Departments of Government of Maharashtra @ https://sic.maharashtra.gov.in/Site/Home/Index.aspx .

• Nagaland State Information Commission (NSIC):

Nagaland State Information Commission has prepared and displayed RTI guides in the local dialects of Nagaland such as (i) Tenyidie (ii) Ao (iii) Lotha (iv)Sema Dialect (v)Zeliang (vi)Chakesang (vii) Khiamniungan (viii) Rengma (ix)Sangtam (x)Kachari (x) Kuki (xi) Phom (xii) Konyak (xiii) Yimchungru on its website @ http://nlsic.nagaland.gov.in/dialect.htm.

Conclusion:

It can be seen that online facilities such as that of ‘know your case status’, mobile application, online filing of RTI Appeals and Complaints, video-conferencing facility, Appeals and Complaints management systems etc are being provided by the SICs. However, some SICs are providing only bare minimum facilities such as that of ‘case status’. If not all, then at least, the facility of video-conferencing and online filing of RTI Complaints and Appeals should be adopted by all the SICs, as then the citizen will save time and money in travel expenses/paper work and disposal of cases will be faster.