The Times of India: Aurangabad: Sunday, 22 March 2026.
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar bench of the State Information Commission (SIC) has recorded the lowest pendency among Maharashtra's eight benches till Feb-end, with only 185 second appeals pending under the RTI Act, 2005, official data showed.
Headed by state
information commissioner Prakash Indalkar, the bench has reached this milestone
through a series of organised measures aimed at reducing the backlog of second
appeals. Indalkar had earlier attributed the bench's efficiency to effective administrative
planning and a public-centric approach.
In contrast, the Konkan (3,566), Mumbai (3,455) and Greater Mumbai (2,864) benches have the highest number of pending second appeals, as per the latest SIC report. Among the remaining benches, Amravati (2,327), Nashik (784), Pune (645) and Nagpur (643) continue to have higher pendency too. Across Maharashtra, a total of 14,469 second appeals are pending before various SIC benches.
Civic activist Pravin Shinde emphasised that the satisfaction of applicants must remain a priority while resolving second appeals. "While accelerating the disposal of second appeals, the interests of applicants should remain paramount. It must not happen that an applicant is denied justice, especially since the second appeal is the final remedy available," he said.
Under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, a second appeal is the final administrative recourse for an applicant dissatisfied with the First Appellate Authority's (FAA) decision. Filed under Section 19(3) of the Act, the second appeal must be submitted within 90 days of receiving the FAA's decision, or within 90 days after the expiry of 45 days from filing the first appeal if no response is received.
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar bench of the State Information Commission (SIC) has recorded the lowest pendency among Maharashtra's eight benches till Feb-end, with only 185 second appeals pending under the RTI Act, 2005, official data showed.
In contrast, the Konkan (3,566), Mumbai (3,455) and Greater Mumbai (2,864) benches have the highest number of pending second appeals, as per the latest SIC report. Among the remaining benches, Amravati (2,327), Nashik (784), Pune (645) and Nagpur (643) continue to have higher pendency too. Across Maharashtra, a total of 14,469 second appeals are pending before various SIC benches.
Civic activist Pravin Shinde emphasised that the satisfaction of applicants must remain a priority while resolving second appeals. "While accelerating the disposal of second appeals, the interests of applicants should remain paramount. It must not happen that an applicant is denied justice, especially since the second appeal is the final remedy available," he said.
Under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, a second appeal is the final administrative recourse for an applicant dissatisfied with the First Appellate Authority's (FAA) decision. Filed under Section 19(3) of the Act, the second appeal must be submitted within 90 days of receiving the FAA's decision, or within 90 days after the expiry of 45 days from filing the first appeal if no response is received.
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