Telangana Information Commission reviews bulk RTI appeals by three applicants
HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Information Commission on September 18 held a full bench hearing with all five Information Commissioners and the Chief Information Commissioner to review hundreds of second appeals and complaints filed by three individuals under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The Commission noted that nearly 1.2 lakh RTI applications are filed with Public Information Officers (PIOs) across the state every year. About 90% of applicants receive information at the first stage, while only around 8% approach the Commission through second appeals or complaints.
However, three individuals — Srinivas Reddy, Vadde Shyam, and Md Afshraf — together filed nearly 2,500 second appeals and complaints, covering multiple districts and departments. The Commission called them, along with concerned PIOs, to understand the nature and intent of these petitions.
Key issues raised by Commission
During the hearing, the Commission sought clarity on:
Why certain departments such as School Education and Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) were repeatedly targeted.
Whether the intentions of the applicants were bona fide or mala fide.
The impact of repeated petitions on administrative efficiency and public resources.
Reasons for PIOs’ failure to comply with earlier Commission orders.
Need for voluntary disclosure of information.
It also asked applicants to explain how individuals could file hundreds of appeals, the number of applications they had filed, and whether any were rejected. The Commission further questioned if they were seeking grievance-based information beyond the scope of the RTI Act.
Nature of applications
According to officials, Srinivas Reddy submitted thousands of applications to the Finance Department seeking details of budget allocations, revenue, and expenditure up to 2023. Information had been provided and is also available on the department’s website.
Vadde Shyam largely focused on permissions and occupancy certificates issued during specific tenures, particularly in the Charminar zone of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department and DTCP.
Md Afshraf filed applications in about 20 departments across 20 districts, with particular focus on School Education, Home, and Revenue departments. Officials said most of his queries were answered, though some issues remained unresolved.
The Commission said the exercise was aimed at ensuring transparency while addressing concerns over repetitive appeals and the strain they placed on public authorities.
