Times of India: Patiala: Saturday, 25 April 2026.
The Punjab State Information Commission has declined to provide data regarding its pending cases and penalties imposed on erring officials under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Responding to an application by Nabha resident Gurpreet Singh, the commission cited "non-availability of compiled records" as the reason for the refusal.
Singh had sought details
on cases pending for over six months and the number of officials penalised for
withholding information during that period. Information officer Sudhir Kumar
stated that the commission is not obligated to "create or compile"
data that does not already exist in a ready format, citing a Supreme Court
judgment.
The applicant has challenged this response, arguing that since the registrar's office tracks incoming and disposed cases, the backlog data is easily extractable. He further contended that records of penalties are routinely sent to departments and should be accessible via correspondence.
Singh also alleged that the commission's failure to impose strict penalties encourages officials to ignore hearings. Describing the RTI process as "cumbersome," he claimed it causes repeated adjournments and prolonged delays.
The appellate authority's decision is expected to clarify whether the commission is required to compile such public information for transparency.
The Punjab State Information Commission has declined to provide data regarding its pending cases and penalties imposed on erring officials under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Responding to an application by Nabha resident Gurpreet Singh, the commission cited "non-availability of compiled records" as the reason for the refusal.
The applicant has challenged this response, arguing that since the registrar's office tracks incoming and disposed cases, the backlog data is easily extractable. He further contended that records of penalties are routinely sent to departments and should be accessible via correspondence.
Singh also alleged that the commission's failure to impose strict penalties encourages officials to ignore hearings. Describing the RTI process as "cumbersome," he claimed it causes repeated adjournments and prolonged delays.
The appellate authority's decision is expected to clarify whether the commission is required to compile such public information for transparency.
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