Unattended RTI applications amount to ‘deemed refusal’: Haryana State Information Commission
The Commission says that by leaving RTI applications unattended, the SPIOs are failing to discharge their statutory responsibilities under the RTI Act, 2005
The State Information Commission (SIC), Haryana, has ruled that if an RTI application remains unattended, the same shall be treated as a case of "deemed refusal" under the provisions of the RTI Act, 2005.
Tushar Arora had approached the SIC, stating that the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) had furnished him with incomplete information in response to his RTI application dated October 16, 2025, despite his filing the first appeal on November 21, 2025. He sought penal action against the State Public Information Officer (SPIO) of HSIIDC.
During a hearing on June 15, Surender Kumar, Manager, HSIIDC, Saha, Ambala, submitted that the requisite information was furnished to Arora on May 11, 2026. He further clarified that the RTI application was filed online and the same was not communicated to him by the person concerned, who receives such applications.
Observing that information was supplied to Arora after more than six months, State Information Commissioner, Dr Ajay Kumar Sura, said, "...the RTI Application was filed by the appellant through the RTI Portal, but the application submitted through the online mode remained unattended for such a prolonged period solely on the ground of respondent authorities reported unfamiliarity with the online portal."
The Commission observed, “The Commission has come across similar instances while hearing other appeals, wherein the RTI Applications filed by the appellants through online mode remained unattended by the department concerned due to the absence of a proper mechanism of monitoring and tracking such applications received via online. It has also emerged in several cases that SPIOs have taken the plea that they became aware of the RTI Application only upon receipt of notices issued by the Commission in second appeal filed by the appellants on account of non-supply of information.”
It added, “The Commission takes an adverse view of such inaction on the part of the SPIOs in failing to pay due attention to RTI Applications filed through the online mode. It is pertinent to mention that the RTI Online Portal was effectively launched by the Government of Haryana on January 24, 2022, with the objective of enabling citizens to file RTI applications and first appeals diligently before various departments.”
The Commission said that by leaving RTI applications received through the online mode unattended, the SPIOs are failing to discharge their statutory responsibilities under the RTI Act, 2005.
The order, dated June 15, further said if an RTI application remained unattended, the same should be treated as a case of ‘deemed refusal’ under the provisions of the RTI Act, 2005. “Any violation of the statutory timelines, without any justifiable cause, amounts to a denial of the right to information conferred upon citizens under the RTI Act, 2005,” added the order.
The State Information Commissioner also gave directions for forwarding a copy of the order to the office of the Chief Secretary, Haryana, for dissemination to the Administrative Secretaries of all Departments to sensitise all the SPIOs about regular monitoring of applications received through the online mode.
