Mentioning that 40,000 RTI applications were pending in the State till September 2025 and 1,623 applications in Dharwad district, State Chief Information Commissioner Ashit Mohan Prasad has directed the officials to dispose of the pending applications at the earliest.
Chairing a meeting on the Right To Information Act 2005 organised for the zilla panchayat officials and employees in Dharwad on Friday, Mr. Prasad asked the officials to provide the requisite answers and information to the applicants as per the guidelines of the Act. Failure to do so would result in imposition of a fine, and in the last 10 years officials had paid a penalty of ₹10 crore to the State Information Commission, he said.
He emphasised the need for the officials in providing answers to RTI applications in a time bound manner. Otherwise they would be penalised, he said.
Mr. Prasad said that the RTI applications filed should be disposed of within 30 days, and they could also provide file notes, but should ensure that the details and identity of the official who had written the notes were kept secret. “There is also no need for attestation of the information downloaded from government websites. For applications pertaining to government schemes and works, answers could be given by downloading information from respective government departments,” he said.
He clarified that information about an individual’s government employment and facilities could be given, including the name of the officer and post, as they were government records. However, when an inquiry was on or an inquiry was completed but the final report was not submitted, or when the concerned investigating officer had not given closure of inquiry report or provided attestation, such information should not be given, he said.
The Chief Information Commissioner emphasised the need for officials and employees to have a basic understanding of the law. “Although the Right To Information Act came into existence in 2005, it covers information from the past 20 years. Already over 200 orders from high courts and over 100 orders from the Supreme Court have been issued on RTI. These orders have further strengthened the Act, its application and expansion,” he said.
He elaborated on the responsibilities of the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Panchayat.
Deputy Commissioner Divya Prabhu G.R.J. said that every six months, requisite training was being given to information officers, first appellate, and second appellate officers. Compared to other districts, information officers in Dharwad district had performed well. Steps would be taken to clear the pending application in a time-bound manner, she said.
Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar, ZP CEO Bhuvanesh Patil, and Superintendent of Police Gunjan Arya spoke on various issues related to RTI and its application. Other senior officials of various departments were present.
Published – October 18, 2025 07:03 pm IST
