The Hindu: Karnataka: Sunday, April
19, 2026.
Karnataka Information Commission (Kalaburagi bench) and the Kalaburagi district administration organise workshop on RTI Act for district, taluk and gram panchayat PDOs
The Karnataka
Information Commission has disposed of a record 40,000 Right to Information
(RTI) appeal cases in the past one year, the highest in India, according to B.
Venkat Singh, Commissioner of the Kalaburagi bench of the commission.
On April 18, he inaugurated a workshop on the RTI Act organised jointly by the Karnataka Information Commission (Kalaburagi bench) and the district administration at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Kalaburagi for district, taluk and gram panchayat PDOs.
Mr. Singh said the commission is committed to providing information to people and added that the disposal of cases had gained further momentum after the appointment of new commissioners in October 2025. “After assuming charge at the Kalaburagi bench, around 1,187 appeal cases have been disposed of within 90 days, including several pending for five to six years,” he said.
He noted that in certain cases, penalties had been imposed on officials for failing to provide information, but the fines were not being deducted from their salaries. He urged Deputy Commissioners to take note of the issue and issue necessary directions to ensure compliance.
Emphasising the importance of transparency and accountability in public administration, Mr. Singh said the RTI Act was enacted to ensure that citizens have access to information. He traced the history of the law, noting that similar legislation dates back to 1766 in Sweden, and was later adopted in Finland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and in India in 2005.
Another Information Commissioner Richard Vincent D’Souza said that a proper understanding of the Act would make it easier to dispose of applications. He added that the law plays a crucial role in building a corruption-free society and mandates accountability among public servants. Except for information exempted under the Act, such as matters relating to privacy and national interest, departments should proactively disclose information on their websites, he said.
Another Commissioner, Mahesh Valwekar, advised officials not to be apprehensive about RTI applications. “If the Act is properly understood, there is no need to fear applications. Clear and timely responses must be given,” he said, adding that applications should be disposed of within 30 days, and those pertaining to other offices should be transferred within five days.
Pro-active disclosure to reduce RTI applications
Addressing a media conference later in the day, Mr. Singh said Public Information Officers have been instructed to proactively disclose departmental information in accordance with Sections 4(1)(a) and 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act.
He said that if departments voluntarily placed information in the public domain, the number of RTI applications would come down significantly. “The core objective of the RTI Act is transparency and accountability. Pro-active disclosure will help achieve this, and reduce the burden on offices,” he said.
Mr. Singh added that similar workshops were being organised across districts in the Kalaburagi division to create awareness among officials about provisions of the Act, and the need for timely disposal of applications. He said several doubts raised by officials regarding the processing of applications were clarified during the workshop, and directions had been issued to serve notices to those who remained absent.
He pointed out that some individuals were misusing the RTI Act without any larger public interest, causing unnecessary inconvenience to officials. “26 such persons across Karnataka have been barred from filing RTI applications, including some from the Kalaburagi division,” he said.
Municipal Commissioner Avinash Shinde, Assistant Commissioner Sahitya Aladakatti, Zilla Panchayat Deputy Secretary Laxman Shrungeri, Planning Director Jagadeppa and officials at various levels, including PDOs and VAs, attended the workshop.
Karnataka Information Commission (Kalaburagi bench) and the Kalaburagi district administration organise workshop on RTI Act for district, taluk and gram panchayat PDOs
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| B. Venkat Singh, Karnataka Information Commissioner (Kalaburagi bench), along with other commissioners, addressing a media conference after the inauguration of a workshop on the RTI Act in Kalaburagi on April 18, 2026. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI |
On April 18, he inaugurated a workshop on the RTI Act organised jointly by the Karnataka Information Commission (Kalaburagi bench) and the district administration at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Kalaburagi for district, taluk and gram panchayat PDOs.
Mr. Singh said the commission is committed to providing information to people and added that the disposal of cases had gained further momentum after the appointment of new commissioners in October 2025. “After assuming charge at the Kalaburagi bench, around 1,187 appeal cases have been disposed of within 90 days, including several pending for five to six years,” he said.
He noted that in certain cases, penalties had been imposed on officials for failing to provide information, but the fines were not being deducted from their salaries. He urged Deputy Commissioners to take note of the issue and issue necessary directions to ensure compliance.
Emphasising the importance of transparency and accountability in public administration, Mr. Singh said the RTI Act was enacted to ensure that citizens have access to information. He traced the history of the law, noting that similar legislation dates back to 1766 in Sweden, and was later adopted in Finland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and in India in 2005.
Another Information Commissioner Richard Vincent D’Souza said that a proper understanding of the Act would make it easier to dispose of applications. He added that the law plays a crucial role in building a corruption-free society and mandates accountability among public servants. Except for information exempted under the Act, such as matters relating to privacy and national interest, departments should proactively disclose information on their websites, he said.
Another Commissioner, Mahesh Valwekar, advised officials not to be apprehensive about RTI applications. “If the Act is properly understood, there is no need to fear applications. Clear and timely responses must be given,” he said, adding that applications should be disposed of within 30 days, and those pertaining to other offices should be transferred within five days.
Pro-active disclosure to reduce RTI applications
Addressing a media conference later in the day, Mr. Singh said Public Information Officers have been instructed to proactively disclose departmental information in accordance with Sections 4(1)(a) and 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act.
He said that if departments voluntarily placed information in the public domain, the number of RTI applications would come down significantly. “The core objective of the RTI Act is transparency and accountability. Pro-active disclosure will help achieve this, and reduce the burden on offices,” he said.
Mr. Singh added that similar workshops were being organised across districts in the Kalaburagi division to create awareness among officials about provisions of the Act, and the need for timely disposal of applications. He said several doubts raised by officials regarding the processing of applications were clarified during the workshop, and directions had been issued to serve notices to those who remained absent.
He pointed out that some individuals were misusing the RTI Act without any larger public interest, causing unnecessary inconvenience to officials. “26 such persons across Karnataka have been barred from filing RTI applications, including some from the Kalaburagi division,” he said.
Municipal Commissioner Avinash Shinde, Assistant Commissioner Sahitya Aladakatti, Zilla Panchayat Deputy Secretary Laxman Shrungeri, Planning Director Jagadeppa and officials at various levels, including PDOs and VAs, attended the workshop.
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