Incomplete Court Fee Data Pushes CIC to Act Against Law Ministry
A request for nationwide court fee data remained unresolved after transfers between multiple departments. The CIC has now demanded a revised response from SHCIL and issued show-cause notices to officials of the law ministry for their mishandling of the RTI application.
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A query seeking comprehensive data on judicial court fees across India found itself bouncing between government departments and public entities, yet the data remained incomplete. This prompted the Central Information Commission (CIC) to intervene, instructing a renewed response from SHCIL and issuing notices to law ministry officials.
The Right to Information (RTI) applicant sought annual and e-court fees data, collected since June 2014, across states. Though initiated with the Ministry of Law and Justice, the request transferred to various departments including the Department of Financial Services and SHCIL, the latter providing partial information for 16 regions.
The complication arose as SHCIL, while offering some data, acknowledged gaps, particularly concerning long-term court fee collections and their utilization, which tied back to the law ministry. During a hearing, officials acknowledged SHCIL's commitment to update its response, and the CIC emphasized a thorough reply and accountability.
To rectify the lapses, the CIC directed SHCIL to address discrepancies and issued show-cause notices to the Department of Legal Affairs, questioning their mishandling and absence during proceedings, demanding clarifications under the RTI Act.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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