Times of India: Ahmedabad: Friday,
January 9Th, 2026.
The CGHS case involved discrepancies over a prescribed drug, while the DJB official was fined ₹10,000 for evasive replies and missing statutory timelines.
The Gujarat State
Information Commission (GSIC) has barred a senior clerk in the revenue
department from filing more than one Right to Information (RTI) application a
year after he allegedly submitted 380 applications over three years and
approached the Gujarat high court multiple times over the same salary-related
dispute.
The commission held that the officer had "repeatedly misused the RTI" by filing "voluminous and repetitive pleas" on identical issues, placing an undue administrative burden on public authorities.
The order was passed by State Chief Information Commissioner Dr Subhash Soni following a hearing held on Dec 19 last month, at the commission's Gandhinagar office. Apart from the RTI applications, the officer also filed multiple first and second appeals on the same subject.
According to the commission, the applications pertained to service-related matters such as pay protection and linking of past services, issues that had already been examined and decided by the finance department on several occasions. Despite receiving detailed replies repeatedly, the officer continued to file fresh applications, the order noted.
"The records show that the complainant filed a total of 46 RTI applications on the same subject and, in addition, more than 380 general applications during the last three years," the order said, adding that such conduct amounted to misuse of the RTI Act.
The commission observed that the large volume of applications filed by a single individual had led to disproportionate use of public authority resources, thereby attracting the provisions of Section 7(9) of the RTI Act.
"Due to a large number of applications filed by a single individual on the same issue, a situation has arisen where public authority resources are being disproportionately utilised," the commission stated. The GSIC also rejected the officer's demand for a refund of Rs 14 paid as copying fees, noting that certified copies of the requested information had already been supplied.
The commission further recorded that the officer had approached the Gujarat high court five times on the same issue but was denied relief in all cases.
Invoking Section 7(9) of the RTI Act, the commission imposed restrictions on future filings. "The complainant is hereby directed not to file more than one application per year under the RTI Act on matters relating to service linkage or pay protection," the GSIC order stated.
Public information officers were directed to strictly implement the decision and reject any application exceeding the permitted limit, while informing the applicant through a simple communication. The commission said the restriction was necessary to prevent abuse of the law and to ensure that genuine RTI applicants are not deprived of timely access to information.
The CGHS case involved discrepancies over a prescribed drug, while the DJB official was fined ₹10,000 for evasive replies and missing statutory timelines.
The commission held that the officer had "repeatedly misused the RTI" by filing "voluminous and repetitive pleas" on identical issues, placing an undue administrative burden on public authorities.
The order was passed by State Chief Information Commissioner Dr Subhash Soni following a hearing held on Dec 19 last month, at the commission's Gandhinagar office. Apart from the RTI applications, the officer also filed multiple first and second appeals on the same subject.
According to the commission, the applications pertained to service-related matters such as pay protection and linking of past services, issues that had already been examined and decided by the finance department on several occasions. Despite receiving detailed replies repeatedly, the officer continued to file fresh applications, the order noted.
"The records show that the complainant filed a total of 46 RTI applications on the same subject and, in addition, more than 380 general applications during the last three years," the order said, adding that such conduct amounted to misuse of the RTI Act.
The commission observed that the large volume of applications filed by a single individual had led to disproportionate use of public authority resources, thereby attracting the provisions of Section 7(9) of the RTI Act.
"Due to a large number of applications filed by a single individual on the same issue, a situation has arisen where public authority resources are being disproportionately utilised," the commission stated. The GSIC also rejected the officer's demand for a refund of Rs 14 paid as copying fees, noting that certified copies of the requested information had already been supplied.
The commission further recorded that the officer had approached the Gujarat high court five times on the same issue but was denied relief in all cases.
Invoking Section 7(9) of the RTI Act, the commission imposed restrictions on future filings. "The complainant is hereby directed not to file more than one application per year under the RTI Act on matters relating to service linkage or pay protection," the GSIC order stated.
Public information officers were directed to strictly implement the decision and reject any application exceeding the permitted limit, while informing the applicant through a simple communication. The commission said the restriction was necessary to prevent abuse of the law and to ensure that genuine RTI applicants are not deprived of timely access to information.
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