1.5 Lakh RTI Complaints Filed Against Information Officers in Haryana

A shocking revelation shows the poor state of transparency in Haryana's government departments. Since the Right to Information Act came into force on October 12, 2005, an alarming 1,49,863 appeals and complaints have been filed against State Public Information Officers (SPIOs) across various departments.

Subhash, the state convenor of Haryana Soochna Adhikar Manch, obtained the data through an RTI application, which shows significant gaps in information sharing. Of these complaints, 17,318 were direct complaints under Section 18(2) of the RTI Act, and 1,32,365 were appeals under Section 19(3).

During the past 19 years, 33,179 officials received show-cause notices under Section 20(1) for providing wrong or incomplete information, or for completely refusing to share requested information. However, the State Information Commission accepted the explanations of most officers, leading to penalties in only 4,048 cases.

The financial impact is significant. Fines totaling Rs 5,91,91,490 were imposed on these erring officers. Nearly half of the penalised officers denied to pay the fines completely, disrespecting the law and defying the Commission 's orders.

The Information Commission has ordered Compensation of Rs 93,20,037 to be paid to the applicants who faced harrassment and delays from the officers. In a strict action against this harrassment, disciplinary action was recommended against 1,986 officers for their violations of the rules.

Subhash emphasized that for the RTI Act to maintain its credibility, the appointment process for Commission members should be fair and impartial, and the Commission's orders must be strictly enforced to ensure government transparency and accountability.