Delay in migration to online mode affecting timely RTI responses

Expressing concern over the considerable delay in providing responses to petitions filed under the Right to Information Act, 2005, the Tamil Nadu Information Commission has urged the state government to facilitate online management of RTI applications/replies in all secretariat departments, offices of department heads and district collectors.

The then Chief Information Commissioner, in a letter to the Chief Secretary, said that the process of filing RTI petitions through the online mode had been started, though not effectively, in the secretariat departments and some district collectors. However, there was a lot of confusion in this process, which subsequently caused significant delays in providing responses from public information officers to petitioners.

During the inquiry before the Commission, the PIOs expressed difficulties in processing RTI petitions online. “This requires urgent attention so that the prescribed period of 30 days in the RTI Act for furnishing a reply by the PIO can be strictly adhered to,” the then CIC Md. Shakeel Akhter in his letter sent days before his retirement from service last month.

Complaints about delays

He stated that the filing of petition under Section 6(1) and first appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act, 2005, in all Secretariat Departments, HODs/District Collectorates has not been achieved so far and hence many petitioners have complained about this issue when they attended the inquiry in the Commission. Mr. Akhter was appointed CIC in June 2023 and held the position for three years.

“It is high time steps are taken to file petitions under Section 6(1) and first appeals under Section 19(1) online for all Secretariat departments, HODs/District Collectors,” he said.

Mr. Akhter said that the Act was enacted with a preamble to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public body to strengthen fundamental constitutional values. It meant reconciling the conflicting interests of governance so as to preserve the confidentiality of sensitive information and the rights of citizens to know the workings of government processes so as to preserve the supremacy of the democratic ideal.

He said that the link to the Commission’s official website could be provided to the web management for the information of all stakeholders so that anyone can file petitions under the Act through the link in addition to the existing work process.

Proactive disclosure

In his earlier communication, Mr. Akhter drew the attention of the state government to Section 4(2) of the Act, which laid emphasis on providing a lot of information suo motu to the people at regular intervals through various means of communication, including the Internet, so that the applicants use the Act minimally to obtain information.

Published – 09 Jul 2026 02:04 IST