When citizens wait endlessly for information that legally belongs to them, frustration slowly turns into silence. But sometimes, accountability does arrive — quietly, firmly, and with real consequences.
The Right to Information Act, 2005 was born out of a simple democratic promise: the citizen has the right to know.
Yet anyone who has filed an RTI knows the uncomfortable truth — applications go unanswered, appellate orders are ignored, and officials often behave as if time itself will erase responsibility.
In October 2025, the Telangana Information Commission (TGIC) reminded public authorities of a basic but often forgotten principle:
Delay is not immunity. Silence is not compliance.
And it did so in the most effective way possible — by putting a monetary cost on administrative apathy.
Years Passed. Orders Ignored. Citizens Kept Waiting.#
Across a series of complaints decided by TGIC, the facts followed a depressingly familiar pattern:
- RTI appeals were allowed as early as 2021 and 2022
- Clear directions were issued to supply information
- Three to four years passed without compliance
- Public Information Officers failed to appear before hearings
- Citizens were left running from office to office, despite winning their cases on paper
At some point, a painful question arises for every RTI user:
If even orders of the Information Commission are ignored, where does a citizen go?
In these cases, TGIC answered that question — decisively.
When the Commission Spoke, It Spoke Clearly#
Jagtial Municipality: Three Cases, One Pattern of Neglect#
In Complaint Nos. 482/2022, 3053/2022 and 3054/2022, the Municipal Commissioner / Public Information Officer of Jagtial Municipality failed to implement appellate orders passed way back in 2021–2022.
There was:
- No information
- No compliance
- No appearance before the Commission
TGIC had seen enough.
Outcome:
- ₹2,000 compensation awarded in each case
Karimnagar: Shared Power, Shared Responsibility#
In Complaint No. 14909/2022, the matter involved three authorities — the Mandal Praja Parishad, the Tahsildar, and the Panchayat Secretary.
Even after a survey was conducted pursuant to earlier Commission orders, the survey report was never provided to the applicant.
This time, responsibility could not be passed around.
Outcome:
- ₹6,000 compensation awarded (₹2,000 each from three authorities)
Siddipet: Panchayat Secretary Held Answerable#
In Complaint Nos. 19865/2022 and 19868/2022, Commission orders passed in January 2022 were simply ignored for years.
Outcome:
- ₹5,000 compensation in each case
A Quiet, Firm Hand at the Helm#
All these orders were passed by P. V. Srinivasa Rao, State Information Commissioner.
There were no dramatic remarks. No rhetoric. Just a steady, principled approach grounded in the spirit of the RTI Act:
- Orders of the Commission are not optional
- Passage of time does not erase accountability
- Citizens must not suffer endlessly for official inaction
Most importantly, the Commission recognised a truth every RTI applicant understands instinctively:
Information delayed for years is justice denied — even if it is eventually supplied.
The compensation awarded in these cases was not charity.
It was an acknowledgment of the citizen’s lost time, effort, and dignity.
Why These Orders Matter#
These are not routine RTI orders buried in a database. They quietly but firmly set important standards:
- Public authorities cannot simply wait out citizens
- Transfers and excuses do not dissolve liability
- Information Commissions will enforce their authority
- Persistence under the RTI Act still works
For RTI users, activists, lawyers, and even honest officers, these decisions restore faith that the system still has a spine.
Final Thought#
In an age where transparency is often promised but rarely practiced, the Telangana Information Commission has shown that:
Accountability does not need noise — it needs resolve.
To the citizens who waited for years: Your patience was acknowledged.
To the officials who ignored lawful orders: The bill has finally arrived.
And to the Commission: This is exactly how the RTI Act was meant to work.
Download Official TGIC Orders (Complete Set)#
📂 Complete set of Telangana Information Commission orders imposing penalties for RTI non-compliance
👉 Download all 12 TGIC Penalty Orders (ZIP)
This archive contains certified copies of TGIC orders referenced in this article.
