Hyderabad: A backlog in the processing of Right to Information (RTI) requests has surfaced as a major transparency concern in Telangana, with official data revealing that nearly 98% of RTI applications filed through the state’s online portal over the past three years remain unresolved, raising serious questions about access to information and administrative accountability. Information obtained under the RTI Act by B Vinod Reddy, an RTI activist, from the information technology, electronics and communications (ITE&C) department shows that 17,865 RTI applications were filed online between Dec 2022 and Dec 2025, of which only 377 were disposed of. The backlog is even more stark at the appellate stage: 2,502 first appeals were filed during this period, with not a single case disposed of, indicating a systemic logjam rather than routine delay. The Telangana RTI online portal was launched on Dec 15, 2022, in compliance with binding directions of the Supreme Court in Pravasi legal cell versus Union of India, which mandated all states and Union Territories to operationalise online RTI mechanisms. While the portal is technically in place, the data shows that pendency has steadily accumulated with negligible clearance. Poor participationOne of the principal reasons appears to be poor participation by public authorities. Of the 3,323 public authorities onboarded onto the portal, only 17 are actively using it to dispose of RTI applications, translating into a non-usage rate of nearly 99.5%. As a result, both applications and first appeals have effectively stalled within the digital system. The issue has also drawn attention to the functioning of the Telangana Information Commission (TGIC), the statutory body tasked with enforcing the RTI Act. Citizens have flagged delays in hearings, insistence on physical submissions in several cases, and slow delivery of orders, all of which contribute to overall pendency. Responding to concerns over the backlog, state chief information commissioner G Chandrashekar Reddy told TOI that the commission had made substantial progress over the last seven months and significantly reduced legacy pendency. “This is our progress in the last seven months. We are far ahead of many states with the least pendency,” he said. According to Reddy, the commission is now up to date in 15 of the state’s 30 departments and 15 of its 33 districts. He said statutory audits, pending since the formation of Telangana, have been completed up to March 2025, and annual RTI reports have been submitted to the legislature up to 2024. He also said that Telangana is the first state to institute RTI awards to motivate public authorities. ‘Info flow for all’“When we joined, cases were pending from 2013 onwards. We ensured information in all those cases. Now, cases are pending from 2021 onwards, which we are confident of bringing to 2025 by March,” he said, adding that this progress was achieved despite prolonged vacancies in the commission in previous years. “RTI is in safe hands in the state, and we are sure to ensure information flow for all,” he said. While the commission highlights gains in clearing long-pending cases and strengthening institutional processes, the official figures from the online RTI portal continue to show overwhelming pendency. The contrast between improvements claimed at the commission level and the portal data underlines the continuing challenge of converting statutory intent and judicial mandates into timely access to information for citizens.
