1.5 lakh complaints filed against info officers; 33K issued notices: RTI reply

As many as 1,49,863 appeals and complaints have been filed with the State Information Commission, Haryana, against the State Public Information Officers (SPIOs) of different departments ever since the enforcement of the RTI Act on October 12, 2005, till March 31, 2025.

These include 1,32,365 appeals under Section 19(3) and 17,318 complaints under Section 18(2) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

As per information provided by the state government in response to an RTI application, 33,179 officials have been issued show-cause notices under Section 20(1) for providing incorrect or incomplete information or non-provision of requested information by the SPIOs during the past 19 years.

“However, the Commission accepted the justifications of the SPIOs in most of the cases and penalties were imposed on the erring SPIOs only in 4,048 cases. Nonetheless, a majority of them did not deposit the fines imposed on them," said Subhash, state convenor of the Haryana Soochna Adhikar Manch, on whose RTI application the said information was provided.

As per the data received by the RTI activist, till March 31, 2025, penalties totalling Rs 5,91,91,490 were imposed under Section 20(1) of the RTI Act in 4,048 cases.

However, nearly half of the penalised SPIOs did not deposit the fine, defying the Commission’s orders.

Additionally, under Section 19(8)(b), the State Information Commission ordered that compensation amounting to Rs 93,20,037 be paid to applicants in 3,637 cases.

Moreover, disciplinary action was recommended under Section 20(2) against 1,986 SPIOs.

“The process for the appointment of Commission members should be fair and impartial and the orders of the Commission should be enforced strictly in order to maintain the sanctity of the RTI Act," maintained Subhash.

Haryana Tribune