A Parliamentary panel has slammed the Government over non-implementation of lokpal and Whistleblowers Protection Acts and also the inordinate delay in filling the posts of Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) which has caused delay of over 37,000 pending cases under the RTI Act. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on personnel, public grievances, law and justice which tabled its report in Parliament on Tuesday said, it is “unfortunate” that the Ministry of Personnel has not taken any steps to amend the Whistleblowers Protection Act.
“The Committee recommends that the Ministry should take necessary action for quick operationalisation of both the Acts,” said the panel, headed by Congress MP EM Sudarsana Natchiappan, report. “The Committee expresses its strong displeasure over non-implementation of the lokpal and lokayuktas Act, 2013 and the Whistleblowers’ Protection Act,” said the committee.
The panel also pointed that they were “not happy with the non-filling up of vacancies in the CIC”. “The Committee desires that the DoPT should fill these vacant positions without any further delay,” it said. The panel also asked Centre to check acute staff crunch in the CBI fearing it may “adversely impact” the quality of investigations.