Kalahandi (Odisha): In a significant ruling strengthening citizens’ rights under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Kalahandi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has held that denial of information sought under RTI also constitutes a deficiency in service under consumer law.
The Commission came down heavily on the Sambalpur Regional Transport Officer (RTO) for refusing to furnish information sought by an RTI applicant, Deepak Kumar Dubey. Calling the conduct of the public authority unjustified, the Commission ordered the RTO to refund the ₹10 RTI application fee, pay ₹25,000 as compensation, and an additional ₹5,000 towards litigation costs.
The ruling is being seen as a major boost for the common citizen, as it clarifies that government officials who fail to provide public information can be proceeded against before consumer forums for service lapses.
According to the case records, Dubey had filed an RTI application on November 23, 2024, seeking basic details of a public transport bus, including the owner’s name and trade address. The Sambalpur RTO rejected the request, claiming that the information was “personal” in nature.
Challenging this stand, Dubey argued that details of a public service vehicle cannot be treated as private information, as such vehicles operate in the public domain and are directly linked to public safety and accountability.
After examining the submissions, the Commission bench comprising President Ashwini Kumar Patra and Member Jyotsana Rani Mishra ruled in favour of the complainant. The bench observed that information relating to public service vehicles must be accessible to citizens and that denying such details defeats the purpose of transparency mandated under the RTI Act.
The Commission further directed the Sambalpur RTO to upload a complete list of all public service vehicles under its jurisdiction on the official website or RTI portal within 30 days. Failure to comply will attract a penalty of ₹100 per day until the directive is fulfilled.
Legal observers say the verdict sets an important precedent by linking RTI compliance with consumer service obligations, thereby widening accountability mechanisms for public authorities.
