Andhra Pradesh High Court Seeks Status Report About Online RTI Portal, Says It Is High Time That State Takes Action

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed the State government to file a compliance report in respect of immediately setting up an online RTI portal for the State in accordance with the Apex Court's judgement in Pravasi Legal Cell vs Union of India & Ors. (2023).

“We are not sure if the GAD (General Administration Department) or the ITEC (Information Technology, Electronics and Communication) has to launch (the portal). Anyways, the order of the Supreme Court was issued in March. It is high time that the State Government takes immediate action for due compliance," it opined. 

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice R. Raghunandan Rao passed these orders in a PIL filed by an advocate for the implementation of the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the aforesaid case. 

The petitioner contended that an RTI application had been filed by him, to determine whether the aforesaid guidelines were being implemented and the ITEC replied to his application stated that there was no such proposal to launch any online portal.

It was further contended that the actions of the authorities in non-implementation of rules were illegal, arbitrary, in violation of principles of natural justice, and in violation of provisions under section 2f section 7 and its sub-clauses of the Right to Information Act, 2005.

In noting these submissions, the Bench remarked that all State Governments and Union Territories were directed to set up online portals for the RTI Act and subsequently directed the State to file a status report on the implementation of the same within 4 weeks.

Case no.: WP(PIL) 191/2023

Counsel for petitioner: VVSS Srikanth G