Chandigarh: The Haryana Government has directed all concerned authorities to ensure the disposal of first appeals filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, within the prescribed timeframe. The government has also instructed First Appellate Authorities to pass clear and reasoned orders, duly recording the grounds for their decisions.
According to a communication issued by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, every first appeal must be disposed of within the statutory timeframe prescribed under Section 19 (6) of the RTI Act. Further, every order passed on a first appeal must clearly record the reasons for the decision, after duly considering all major points and grounds raised by the appellant.
The instructions further clarify that wherever the information sought is disclosable under the law, the concerned State Public Information Officer (SPIO) must ensure that it is furnished without any unnecessary delay.
It may be noted that the Haryana State Information Commission had expressed concern over delays in the disposal of first appeals and the issuance of orders without adequate reasoning. The Commission had requested that necessary instructions be issued to all concerned administrative departments, Heads of Departments and authorities in this regard.
The State Government has directed First Appellate Authorities across all departments to strictly comply with these instructions so that applicants seeking information are not compelled to approach the State Information Commission through second appeals unnecessarily.
