The State Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), Rahul Pande, has issued a stern rebuke to the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (MahaRail) for its failure to provide information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The case involved a petition filed by former MLA and minister of state, Avinash Warjukar.
Commission's Strong Observations on Systemic Failure
The Commission concluded that MahaRail's lapse constituted a serious violation of the RTI Act, 2005. It observed a clear absence of a proper, accountable, and effective system within the corporation for handling RTI applications. This systemic failure led to the complete non-response to Warjukar's legitimate queries.
Timeline of the Ex-MLA's Pursuit for Information
Avinash Warjukar had filed his RTI applications on February 15, 2024, and January 23, 2025. He sought details on 12 critical points regarding MahaRail's establishment, the appointment of its managing director, technical approvals for works, and specifics of development projects undertaken.
After receiving no information within the mandated period, he filed a first appeal on February 25, 2025. With no hearing conducted on that appeal, he was forced to approach the State Information Commission with a second appeal on April 11, 2025.
Warjukar alleged that during a personal follow-up, MahaRail officials incorrectly informed him that the RTI Act was not applicable to the corporation. Although the corporation later promised a report, nothing was submitted on record.
Hearing Reveals Accountability Gaps and Directives Issued
The second appeal was heard on October 14, 2025. Warjukar was present, along with MahaRail's current Public Information Officer (PIO), assistant manager (PR) Vineet Toke, and the current First Appellate Authority (FAA), manager (legal) Abhivrat Das. During the hearing, the current FAA clarified that the RTI Act does apply to MahaRail and expressed regret if any official had stated otherwise.
The Commission discovered that much of the sought information was either missing or only partially available on MahaRail's website. It also noted a critical accountability issue: the earlier PIO and FAA were contractual employees who had since left the organisation, creating confusion over who was responsible.
Based on these findings, the Commission partially allowed the second appeal and issued several directives:
- MahaRail must provide all available information on the 12 points to Warjukar free of cost within two weeks, as per Section 7(6) of the RTI Act.
- The corporation must submit photocopies of its RTI application register and responses to the Commission's secretary.
- The Additional Chief Secretary of the General Administration Department must issue guidelines for appointing competent, full-time RTI staff in such authorities.
- The current director of MahaRail must initiate appropriate administrative action over the lapses.
This ruling underscores the mandatory nature of RTI compliance for public authorities and highlights the consequences of administrative neglect in upholding transparency laws.
