Times of India: Chandigarh: Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
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Recognising that every
citizen has the right to seek information provided the request is reasonable
and serves public interest the Punjab State Information Commission has warned
that the RTI Act, a key tool for transparency and accountability, should not be
misused for harassment or vendetta against public officials.
These observations were made by a bench comprising state information commissioners Virinderjit Singh Billing and Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal while dismissing 24 appeals/complaints filed by a Faridkot resident against multiple public authorities. The commission ruled that the information sought was either exempt under RTI Act or aimed at addressing personal grievances rather than serving public interest.
Upon examination, the bench found that the RTI applications were not only vague and ambiguous but also lacked specificity, making it difficult for both the departments concerned and the commission to determine the exact nature of the information sought. Many requests were broad, unclear, and framed in a way that caused confusion rather than promoting transparency, it said. The commission noted that such imprecise applications placed undue burden on public authorities and hinder the functioning of RTI framework.
During the hearing, the public information officer (PIO) of the executive officer, nagar council, Jaiton, Faridkot district, submitted that the appellant repeatedly filed RTI applications seeking personal information of govt employees with whom he had disputes. PIO informed the commission that an FIR was registered against the appellant on May 29, 2019, due to such conflicts.
All cases were examined separately, with departmental representatives making their submissions. Copies of these submissions were provided to the appellant, who repeatedly pointed out deficiencies and claimed the information was incomplete or unsatisfactory. Despite being advised to inspect the records, the appellant refused, alleging non-cooperation from the departments concerned.
The commission noted that the nature of RTI requests appeared vexatious, seemingly aimed at harassing officials rather than seeking information in public interest. Dismissing the appeals, it cited legal precedents set by the Supreme Court and high courts, which have consistently emphasised that the RTI Act should not be misused.
The commission issued a strict warning to the appellant against filing frivolous and vexatious RTI applications that waste public resources. It also advised concerned PIOs to exercise their discretion under Section 7(9) of the RTI Act in the future to prevent misuse. Furthermore, it directed any future RTI applications from the appellant seeking similar information may be rejected if found vexatious or lacking public interest.
The appellant was advised to ensure precision and specificity in future RTI applications and not misuse the Act for personal vendetta. Considering the pattern of the applications and the lack of public interest in these cases, penalties and compensations imposed on officials in some of the appeals were dropped.
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These observations were made by a bench comprising state information commissioners Virinderjit Singh Billing and Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal while dismissing 24 appeals/complaints filed by a Faridkot resident against multiple public authorities. The commission ruled that the information sought was either exempt under RTI Act or aimed at addressing personal grievances rather than serving public interest.
Upon examination, the bench found that the RTI applications were not only vague and ambiguous but also lacked specificity, making it difficult for both the departments concerned and the commission to determine the exact nature of the information sought. Many requests were broad, unclear, and framed in a way that caused confusion rather than promoting transparency, it said. The commission noted that such imprecise applications placed undue burden on public authorities and hinder the functioning of RTI framework.
During the hearing, the public information officer (PIO) of the executive officer, nagar council, Jaiton, Faridkot district, submitted that the appellant repeatedly filed RTI applications seeking personal information of govt employees with whom he had disputes. PIO informed the commission that an FIR was registered against the appellant on May 29, 2019, due to such conflicts.
All cases were examined separately, with departmental representatives making their submissions. Copies of these submissions were provided to the appellant, who repeatedly pointed out deficiencies and claimed the information was incomplete or unsatisfactory. Despite being advised to inspect the records, the appellant refused, alleging non-cooperation from the departments concerned.
The commission noted that the nature of RTI requests appeared vexatious, seemingly aimed at harassing officials rather than seeking information in public interest. Dismissing the appeals, it cited legal precedents set by the Supreme Court and high courts, which have consistently emphasised that the RTI Act should not be misused.
The commission issued a strict warning to the appellant against filing frivolous and vexatious RTI applications that waste public resources. It also advised concerned PIOs to exercise their discretion under Section 7(9) of the RTI Act in the future to prevent misuse. Furthermore, it directed any future RTI applications from the appellant seeking similar information may be rejected if found vexatious or lacking public interest.
The appellant was advised to ensure precision and specificity in future RTI applications and not misuse the Act for personal vendetta. Considering the pattern of the applications and the lack of public interest in these cases, penalties and compensations imposed on officials in some of the appeals were dropped.
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