Ranchi: The Jharkhand Government has assured the High Court that the State Information Commission will be made functional within four weeks. This assurance came during the hearing of an appeal petition filed by Birendra Singh before a division bench comprising Justice Sujeet Narayan Prasad and Justice A.K. Rai on Thursday.
Senior Advocate Rajiv Ranjan, representing the state government, informed the court that necessary steps are underway to activate the commission and it will be fully operational within a month. The hearing was also attended by the Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar and the Secretary of Personnel, Administrative Reforms, and Official Language Department.
Earlier, the court had warned that failure to promptly activate the commission could lead to contempt proceedings against responsible officials. Consequently, the Chief Secretary and the Personnel Secretary were directed to appear personally before the court.
The court noted that it had already directed the state government on December 12, 2025, to make the Information Commission functional, but no significant progress was observed till date. After hearing the government’s submission on Thursday, the court granted four weeks’ time for the commission to become operational.
During the proceedings, the petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Vikas Kumar, highlighted that the Jharkhand Information Commission has remained inactive for nearly five years. All posts, including the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners, are vacant, leaving no forum for second appeals under the Right to Information Act, 2005.
This inactivity has caused inconvenience to common citizens who are forced to approach the High Court directly, adding to the court’s caseload. The petitioner, Birendra Singh, had sought information under the Right to Information Act, 2005. When the information was not provided within the stipulated 30-day period, he filed a first appeal, which also failed to yield results.
Typically, second appeals are filed with the State Information Commission, but due to the absence of appointed members, the commission has remained non-functional. As a result, the petitioner approached the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution.
The court’s intervention and the government’s assurance mark a significant step towards restoring the commission’s role in ensuring transparency and accountability in governance.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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