The absence of a dedicated state-level regulatory body or commission for the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, has eroded the legislation’s effectiveness in Chandigarh. Designed to empower citizens to seek details on government budgets, expenditure, project status, and annual performance, the law is increasingly being reduced to a paper tiger.
The primary responsibility to enforce the Act rests with the government; the commission plays an advisory role.”
Former Punjab chief information commissioner Ramesh Inder Singh said that the regulatory mandate is often misunderstood: “Central or state information commissions are quasi-judicial bodies whose primary role is to hear second appeals and penalize violating CPIOs.
Unlike states with dedicated State Information Commissions (SICs), Union Territories like Chandigarh rely on the Central Information Commission (CIC) in New Delhi as their second and final appellate authority. Deciding to establish a separate SIC rests with the ministry of home affairs. However, we are actively strengthening the internal first appellate mechanism to ensure timely resolution for citizens.”
Under the Right to Information Act, 2005, jurisdiction over all central public authorities and UTs lies entirely with the Central Information Commission, New Delhi.
Responding to the structural gap, the office of the home secretary, Chandigarh, said: “Chandigarh is a UT without a legislature.
