RTI Application (submitted 9 August 2025)
I submitted an RTI application on 9 August 2025 requesting records & information related to the district administration’s meetings and complaints during a specified period. The text of the application is below.
Information sought
Period: 9 August 2024 to 9 August 2024
Requested details
Records of Meetings & Decisions
- Copies of all official meetings (chaired by District Collector, officer-level meetings, public grievance redressal meetings).
- Detailed minutes (date, agenda, attendees, discussions, decisions).
- Follow-up or implementation action status on decisions taken.
Complaints Against Administrative Officers
- List of complaints received in the given period.
- Nature and subject matter of each complaint.
- Investigation process, status, and outcomes (including any disciplinary action).
- Any public reports/summaries on complaint handling.
PIO reply (11 August 2025)
The PIO replied:
The sought information is unclear.
The requested data would require collection and creation of new information — under the RTI Act, only existing documents/records (where date, year, or letter number is specifically mentioned) are provided.
RTI does not oblige the public authority to compile and create new records.
Applicant is advised to specify:
- Exact year, month, date
- Or letter/document number
So the relevant record can be provided.
First appeal (filed 03 September 2025)
Grounds of Appeal:
- Specific Date Already Provided: The RTI application clearly specified the date “09 August 2024” for which the records were sought.
- Existence of Records: The meetings and complaints for that date are recorded in official registers and files. I am not requesting the PIO to create or compile new information but only copies of existing records as maintained.
- PIO’s Obligation Under RTI Act: As per Section 2(f) of the RTI Act, “information” includes records, documents, memos, e-mails, minutes of meetings, orders, and reports. Providing such records does not constitute “creating” new information.
- Violation of Section 7(1): The outright refusal without supplying available documents for the given date is a violation of the spirit and provisions of the RTI Act.
Prayer:
In light of the above, I request the First Appellate Authority to kindly:
- Direct the PIO to provide the requested documents as per my original RTI dated 09/08/2025 for the date 09/08/2024 without further delay.
- Clarify to the PIO that providing existing records for a specified date does not amount to “creation” of new information.
First appeal hearing (24 September 2025)
I went to the first appeal hearing today. The representative of the PIO did not say anything and the First Appellate Authority (FAA) did not appear impartial. The FAA asked me to give specific details of the information required; I replied that my RTI is specific. She then asked me to give a reason for asking this information; I replied that I do not have to give a reason under the RTI Act. She claimed Supreme Court guidelines require giving a reason. I exercised my right and did not provide a reason.
After that she told the PIO to collect information and to ask me for an additional fee (she suggested it could be around ₹50,000). I replied that, as the statutory timeline has passed, the PIO is not entitled to ask for an additional fee and the information should be provided free of cost. The FAA then said that she (as FAA) can ask for an additional fee. I said nothing further and left the hearing along with the PIO. The FAA has not uploaded any order or judgment on the Connect Punjab portal (the official RTI portal for Punjab).
Question
What should I do?
