Hyderabad: The Telangana Right to Information (RTI) Act will complete 20 years on October 9. A formal celebration is scheduled at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad. Telangana Governor Dr. C.P. Radhakrishnan will attend as Chief Guest and present the RTI Awards 2025.
This milestone follows the reconstitution of the Telangana Information Commission, which resumed functioning four months ago. The Commission had been inactive for nearly 30 months. However, the induction of new Information Commissioners has restored momentum, significantly improving response time and reducing case pendency.
Since its revival, the Commission has conducted district visits to assess the local RTI scenario. In several districts, officials noted a relatively low number of pending cases. They linked this either to poor public awareness or to efficient local governance.
To bridge this gap, the Commission partnered with Public Information Officers (PIOs) and launched awareness campaigns. It also conducted on-the-spot case hearings across multiple districts. These sessions took place in Jangaon, Kamareddy, Medak, Nirmal, Wanaparthy, Warangal, Jogulamba Gadwal, Vikarabad, Siddipet, and Mahabubabad.
During these hearings, the Commission addressed cases that had been pending for up to 11 years. Most were resolved immediately. It then prioritized departments with low or moderate backlogs, launching detailed reviews of 12 government departments.
These departments include Animal Husbandry, BC Welfare, Food and Civil Supplies, Housing, Industries and IT, Labour and Employment, Planning, Social Welfare, Women and Child Welfare, Youth Advancement, and Endowments.
New initiatives under reconstituted Telangana RTI Act Commission
To strengthen transparency and inter-departmental coordination, the Commission introduced several new initiatives. It held a one-week training program for new Commissioners at the MCRHRD Institute. Officials also took part in the National Federation of Information Commissioners Workshop held in New Delhi. Furthermore, the Commission appointed Nodal Officers at both district and department levels to improve communication.
Governor to present Telangana RTI Awards 2025
The Governor will present awards in eight categories during the anniversary celebration. These include Best Performing District, Best Public Information Officer, Best Department for RTI Case Disposal, and Best First Appellate Authority. Additionally, awards will be given for Voluntary Disclosure under Section 4(1)(b), Best Assistant Public Information Officer, and Best Employee of the Telangana Information Commission.
