The Times of India: Ahmedabad: Thursday, 27 November 2025.
In a stern move against misuse of its orders, the Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has imposed a penalty of Rs 5,000 on the Public Information Officer (PIO) of Sarigam gram panchayat for denying information to an applicant after misinterpreting an earlier commission directive.
The commission has also
recommended disciplinary action against the taluka development officer, who
served as the first appellate authority, for negligence in the discharge of his
duties. The case involved petitioner Pankaj Rai, who had sought documents related
to the allotment of house numbers and construction permits.
The PIO rejected his RTI application on grounds that he had filed more than 12 RTI applications a restriction the commission had imposed on specific applicants in an order dated Feb 1, 2025. However, the GIC clarified that the order was not meant for ordinary citizens.
"The order dated Feb 1, 2025, applies only to the petitioner. It does not apply to any ordinary applicant," the commission stated in its ruling.
Despite the clear scope of the original order, the PIO denied the information, and the first appellate authority upheld the denial without proper scrutiny of the facts.
Taking a serious view of this lapse, the commission not only imposed the financial penalty but also directed that it be recovered from the PIO's salary. Additionally, it recommended disciplinary proceedings against the taluka development officer for failing to examine the appeal properly.
At the same time, the commission rejected the petitioner's request for specific documents, ruling that they belonged to a third party and were exempt from disclosure under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act. These included personal details such as names, addresses, property transfer records and construction permits, which the commission deemed confidential in the absence of any demonstrated substantial public interest.
The ruling comes amid widespread misuse of the "12 applications" restriction by PIOs across Gujarat. Expressing concern over this trend, the commission stated that it hoped "henceforth the misinterpretation of the orders will be stopped, and citizens will get relief".
In a stern move against misuse of its orders, the Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has imposed a penalty of Rs 5,000 on the Public Information Officer (PIO) of Sarigam gram panchayat for denying information to an applicant after misinterpreting an earlier commission directive.
The PIO rejected his RTI application on grounds that he had filed more than 12 RTI applications a restriction the commission had imposed on specific applicants in an order dated Feb 1, 2025. However, the GIC clarified that the order was not meant for ordinary citizens.
"The order dated Feb 1, 2025, applies only to the petitioner. It does not apply to any ordinary applicant," the commission stated in its ruling.
Despite the clear scope of the original order, the PIO denied the information, and the first appellate authority upheld the denial without proper scrutiny of the facts.
Taking a serious view of this lapse, the commission not only imposed the financial penalty but also directed that it be recovered from the PIO's salary. Additionally, it recommended disciplinary proceedings against the taluka development officer for failing to examine the appeal properly.
At the same time, the commission rejected the petitioner's request for specific documents, ruling that they belonged to a third party and were exempt from disclosure under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act. These included personal details such as names, addresses, property transfer records and construction permits, which the commission deemed confidential in the absence of any demonstrated substantial public interest.
The ruling comes amid widespread misuse of the "12 applications" restriction by PIOs across Gujarat. Expressing concern over this trend, the commission stated that it hoped "henceforth the misinterpretation of the orders will be stopped, and citizens will get relief".
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