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(SNS) and Centre for Equity Studies (CES) that examines the functioning of ICs
from the commencement of the lockdown on March 25, 2020 till May 15. The
analysis of websites was undertaken between May 1 and May 11 and phone calls
were made to Information Commissions between May 14 and May 18.
The analysis shows that only 7 of the 29 Information Commissions, made
provision for taking up urgent matters or those related to life and liberty during
the period when normal functioning was affected due to the lockdown. These
were, the CIC and the State Information Commissions of Arunachal Pradesh,
Haryana, Manipur, Punjab and Telangana. The SIC of Rajasthan made provision
for hearing such matters, though only from May 4.
“Of the 29 ICs, two Commissions - Jharkhand and Tripura - were found
to have no Commissioners for varying lengths of time. They were completely
defunct as the serving Information Commissioner in both retired during the pe-
riod of the lockdown,” it is stated.
Of the 29 Information Commissions, four were functioning without a
Chief Information Commissioner - Bihar, Goa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The
SIC of Rajasthan has been functioning without a Chief Information Commission-
er for more than 15 months, since December, 2018. The Chiefs of the Goa and
Uttar Pradesh SICs retired in February, 2020, while the Chief of the Bihar SIC
retired in July, 2019.
Anjali Bhardwaj from Satark Nagrik Sangathan stressed that although
the challenges thrown up by the crisis are immense, it is absolutely critical that
all Information Commissions conduct hearings and dispose cases to ensure peo-
ple can exercise their Fundamental Right to Information.
[Source : The Times of India, New Delhi, dated 22-5-2020]

ED attaches over ` 3.5 crore assets of Customs Deputy
Commissioner

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it has attached as-
sets worth ` 3.56 crore of a Deputy Commissioner-rank officer of the Customs
Department in a Money Laundering and alleged disproportionate assets case
filed against him.
The properties include ` 47.58 lakh in banks, mutual funds of ` 91.75
lakh, insurance policies of ` 74 lakh, land in Jharkhand’s East Singhbhum District
valued at ` 52.43 lakh, a flat in Patna worth ` 35 lakh, ` 40.33 lakh worth of jewel-
lery and ` 14.50 lakh cash that was seized from the Officer, who the agency iden-
tified with his first name Shashikant.
The provisional order for the attachment of the assets, in the name of the
Officer and his family, was issued by the ED and the total value of the properties
is ` 3.56 crore.
The agency in a statement said the Officer is being probed in a case of
“acquisition of disproportionate assets beyond known sources of income by a
public servant. “The ED said it filed a criminal case under the Prevention of
Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against the Officer based on a reference received
from the CVC and a CBI FIR filed against the Officer earlier.
During investigation it was found that the Officer had acquired various
immovable and movable properties out of the “illegally earned money” during
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