Info Panel Warns Tamil Nadu Human Rights Commission PIO Over RTI Delays

The State Information Commission in Chennai has warned the Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) for failing to comply with the statutory provisions of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, citing undue delays in furnishing replies to applicants within the stipulated timeframe.

Chief Information Commissioner Atulya Misra issued the censure against the SHRC's Public Information Officer while disposing of an appeal arising from a petition filed in 2024. During the proceedings, the commission underlined that public authorities are legally mandated under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act to provide responses to petitions within 30 days of receipt.

The case originated when M Dhanasekaran, a resident of Kancheepuram, submitted an RTI application in June 2024 to the Public Information Officer of the SHRC. Through his application, Dhanasekaran sought details regarding the investigation officers and the specific dates on which inquiries were conducted in relation to an SHRC case registered in 2019.

Following the lack of a timely response, Dhanasekaran submitted his first appeal in July 2024. When the matter remained unresolved, he escalated the issue by submitting a second appeal before the State Information Commission.

During the appeal hearing before the information panel, SHRC Public Information Officer Vidyalakshmi appeared on behalf of the human rights body. She claimed that responses to the initial petitions had been sent in September 2024 and November 2025. However, she was unable to produce a copy of the September 2024 response before the commission during the hearing. She also presented a third reply sent to the petitioner dated July 2026.

Taking note of the lapses and the failure to provide proper verification of earlier communications, the state panel warned the official and reminded the rights panel of its statutory obligation to adhere to transparency rules.