The Hindu: Bengaluru: Friday, 10Th April 2026.
So far, only ₹2.70 crore has been recovered from 3,084 Public Information Officers while the KIC has imposed a fine of ₹10.38 crores on 10,843 government officials designated as PIOs
The Karnataka Information
Commission (KIC) has taken exception to the State Government not recovering
penalty imposed on officials who have avoided sharing information sought under
Right to Information Act, 2005.
The KIC has so far imposed a penalty of ₹10.38 crore on 10,843 government officials designated as Public Information Officers (PIOs). Of this, just about ₹2.70 crore has been recovered from 3,084 PIOs.
KIC sources said that some of the pending cases date back to 2012. The maximum fine that can be levied under the law for denying information is ₹25,000.
In a communication to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, a copy of which is with The Hindu, Chief Information Commissioner Raman K. has pointed out that the PIOs have shown dereliction of duty.
People feel KIC’s orders are useless
“Though there are circulars to recover the penalty from the salary and initiate disciplinary action, the departmental heads have not taken action. This has belittled the Information Commission’s order, and people are feeling that the KIC’s orders are useless,” the letter stated.
In 2014, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms had issued a circular making the controlling officers in the department responsible for initiating penalty recovery process and remitting the amount to the State treasury. The circular had been issued in 2014 following a similar complaint of non-recovery of penalties, and based on recommendation of KIC in its 2012-2013 annual report.
These are penalties imposed by KIC on officials against whom second appeal is moved by the applicant after the first appeal available within the department also would not secure the information sought under the RTI Act.
Highest number of cases
The departments of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Revenue and Urban Development are among the 33 departments with the highest number of pending cases. While 3,270 officials in RDPR were found guilty of not providing information and a penalty of ₹2.97 crore had been imposed, the department has been able to recover ₹79.25 lakh from 993 officials.
In Revenue Department, 2,963 officials were penalised to a total of ₹2.87 crore of which 730 officials have paid the penalty of about ₹66.63 lakh.
A total of 2,945 officials in the Urban Development Department were penalised by the KIC with the total amount adding up to ₹2.89 crore. Of this, 949 officials have paid ₹88.48 lakh.
The only exception is the Public Enterprises Department where one official was penalised ₹7,500, which has been recovered.
Dr. Mahesh Walwekar, one of the State Information Commissioners, questioned the need for orders if the departmental heads do not take them seriously or implement them. “What would other officers do when penalties are not recovered from erring officials? They too would be emboldened to deny information. There will be no fear of departmental action. The importance of the commission is lost if the orders are ignored with impunity.”
Ignoring notices about hearings
KIC sources said that a penalty is imposed, as in many cases officials tend to ignore the commission’s notices (three notices are issued) to appear for a hearing, or do not provide information despite the KIC’s order to do so. “These cases are brought before the KIC by RTI applicants after information is denied at the departmental level,” the sources said.
While some officials are learnt to have paid penalties from their pocket fearing that the penalties would be recorded in their service records, Dr. Walwekar said that, as per the law, penalties are to be recovered from their salary.
So far, only ₹2.70 crore has been recovered from 3,084 Public Information Officers while the KIC has imposed a fine of ₹10.38 crores on 10,843 government officials designated as PIOs
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| Penalties are imposed by KIC on officials against whom second appeal is moved by the applicant after the first appeal available within the department also would not secure the information sought under the RTI Act. | Photo Credit: Aijaz Rahi |
The KIC has so far imposed a penalty of ₹10.38 crore on 10,843 government officials designated as Public Information Officers (PIOs). Of this, just about ₹2.70 crore has been recovered from 3,084 PIOs.
KIC sources said that some of the pending cases date back to 2012. The maximum fine that can be levied under the law for denying information is ₹25,000.
In a communication to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, a copy of which is with The Hindu, Chief Information Commissioner Raman K. has pointed out that the PIOs have shown dereliction of duty.
People feel KIC’s orders are useless
“Though there are circulars to recover the penalty from the salary and initiate disciplinary action, the departmental heads have not taken action. This has belittled the Information Commission’s order, and people are feeling that the KIC’s orders are useless,” the letter stated.
In 2014, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms had issued a circular making the controlling officers in the department responsible for initiating penalty recovery process and remitting the amount to the State treasury. The circular had been issued in 2014 following a similar complaint of non-recovery of penalties, and based on recommendation of KIC in its 2012-2013 annual report.
These are penalties imposed by KIC on officials against whom second appeal is moved by the applicant after the first appeal available within the department also would not secure the information sought under the RTI Act.
Highest number of cases
The departments of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Revenue and Urban Development are among the 33 departments with the highest number of pending cases. While 3,270 officials in RDPR were found guilty of not providing information and a penalty of ₹2.97 crore had been imposed, the department has been able to recover ₹79.25 lakh from 993 officials.
In Revenue Department, 2,963 officials were penalised to a total of ₹2.87 crore of which 730 officials have paid the penalty of about ₹66.63 lakh.
A total of 2,945 officials in the Urban Development Department were penalised by the KIC with the total amount adding up to ₹2.89 crore. Of this, 949 officials have paid ₹88.48 lakh.
The only exception is the Public Enterprises Department where one official was penalised ₹7,500, which has been recovered.
Dr. Mahesh Walwekar, one of the State Information Commissioners, questioned the need for orders if the departmental heads do not take them seriously or implement them. “What would other officers do when penalties are not recovered from erring officials? They too would be emboldened to deny information. There will be no fear of departmental action. The importance of the commission is lost if the orders are ignored with impunity.”
Ignoring notices about hearings
KIC sources said that a penalty is imposed, as in many cases officials tend to ignore the commission’s notices (three notices are issued) to appear for a hearing, or do not provide information despite the KIC’s order to do so. “These cases are brought before the KIC by RTI applicants after information is denied at the departmental level,” the sources said.
While some officials are learnt to have paid penalties from their pocket fearing that the penalties would be recorded in their service records, Dr. Walwekar said that, as per the law, penalties are to be recovered from their salary.
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