New Delhi: In a move which is going to affect the smooth functioning of the Central Information Commission (CIC) the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) has asked the panel to either do away with its outsourced staff, which constitutes nearly 60 per cent of sanctioned strength, or cut their pay to minimum rates laid down by it.
The commission at present is having around 100 outsourced employees and removing them will mean that the functioning of the panel getting deeply hampered.
Most of the outsourced employees are working as data entry operator, whose job involves entering details of incoming appeals and complaints, segregating them according to each Information Commissioner and determining if they fulfill criteria of complaint and appeals among other.
It was in the last week only when CIC informed DoPT that around 35,000 cases are pending and removing so many employees would mean that it will directly hamper the functioning of CIC.
Meanwhile Congress President Sonia Gandhi has slammed the decision taken by the government stating that those who talked about corruption free governance have kept the post of CIC commissioner vacant and giving corrupt people a free run in the country.
In a meeting that took place on Friday last week othe Secretary, CIC with the senior officers of Department of Personnel and Training, the transparency panel was conveyed that either they stop renewing contracts of outsourced employees or hire them at minimum wages prescribed under the law.
