Information Commissioner directs officials to accept all RTI officials

August 6, 2011

Mangalore, August 6: State Information Commissioner Dr H N Krishna has directed the officials in Dakshina Kannada to provide information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, even if the application is not addressed to the public information officers (PIOs).

Addressing a meeting at Zilla Panchayat Hall, here on Friday Dr Krishna said he had noticed officials rejecting RTI applications on the grounds that PIO's address was not mentioned on it.

"Accept the RTI application even if the applicant fails to mention the address of the PIO," he said adding that an official, who rejects, denies or delays giving the information can be penalised under the provisions of the RTI Act. He was addressing PIOs of various offices in the district at the zilla panchayat hall here on Friday.

In case of voluminous files, an RTI applicant should be allowed to view the file for one hour without being charged a fee. However, Rs 10 should be levied from the applicant for every additional half an hour. Officials should periodically update the list of all files in their offices and classify them according to its nature, he said adding that disposal of RTI application will be made easy if officials list and classify all files in their offices regularly.

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Siddaramaiah's camp on alert as Karnataka Congress leadership rift escalates

News Network

November 27,2025

Bengaluru, Nov 27: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s camp is reportedly on alert as the Congress leadership tussle in the state intensifies, particularly amid speculation over the potential promotion of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Siddaramaiah is said to be in a “wait-and-watch” mode after admitting to “confusion” earlier this week and urging the party to “put a full stop” to it.

Sources say his supporters are ready to act if senior leaders — including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi — give any indication of backing Shivakumar. If the party insists on a leadership change, Siddaramaiah’s camp has a list of alternatives, underscoring the deep rift between the two leaders. One possible candidate is Home Minister G. Parameshwara, a Siddaramaiah loyalist and influential Dalit leader.

The strategy was reportedly finalized at a meeting led by PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, another Siddaramaiah supporter, who stressed that Delhi leaders need to resolve the issue. Kharge and the Gandhis are expected to meet soon, after which Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar may be summoned to Delhi.

Shivakumar has largely stayed non-confrontational, publicly endorsing Siddaramaiah and downplaying speculation about his own ambitions. However, he has made pointed comments emphasizing the importance of honoring promises, directed at Siddaramaiah.

The feud traces back to the 2023 state election, when Siddaramaiah was chosen as Chief Minister while Shivakumar, who led the party’s campaign, was made Deputy CM and state party chief — a departure from the Congress’ usual “one post per person” rule.

There were also hints of a prior understanding that Siddaramaiah would step down midway through the term. As the halfway mark passed last week, Shivakumar-aligned lawmakers have ramped up pressure on the party for a leadership change, with Shivakumar himself hinting at stepping down as state party chief to pursue the top job.

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