Information Commission completes key audit, submits annual reports

Hyderabad

The Telangana State Information Commission has submitted its annual reports to the government, and an audit that remained on the backburner since the formation of the State, has now been completed, according to officials familiar with the matter, marking a key administrative milestone.

The annual reports are an appraisal of the state of affairs connected to the implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Mandated under Section 25, which deals with “Monitoring and Reporting”, the reports include details such as the total number of RTI requests made to public authorities across departments, the charges collected by each public authority, the number of appeals referred to state information commissions, and instances of disciplinary action initiated against officers vis-a-vis the Act, if any, among other aspects.

According to officials, the reports have been forwarded to the government for being tabled in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, enabling legislative scrutiny.

Speaking to The Hindu, State Chief Information Commissioner G Chandrashekhar Reddy said the annual reports reflect institutional performance and help bring greater transparency to the system. “We instituted awards to encourage officers. We are the first State to institute awards to motivate all public authorities. We have also been visiting districts and conducting hearings,” he said, even as he outlined the the Commission’s approach of bringing about proactivness.

According to official data, in terms of case pendency, the Commission has been performing better than commissions in many other States. The TSIC is up to date in 15 of the 30 departments in the State, and in 15 of the 33 districts, officials maintained.

The latest information indicates that 14,599 complaints and second appeals are pending before the Commission. Data shows that at the beginning of the current panel’s term, there were over 17,000 pending complaints and second appeals. Between June 1, 2025 and January 1, 2026, the Commission disposed of 7,940 complaints and appeals significantly reducing backlog levels.

With applicants and activists pressing public authorities to respond within the prescribed timelines under the RTI Act, officials at the Commission said they were conscious of the issue and had initiated steps to address delays, and improve compliance.