SECOND APPEAL OR COMPLAINT TO THE INFORMATION COMMISSION
Under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (the Act)
Presented on: 5 April 2026, at Mohali
To: The Registrar, Punjab State Information Commission, Red Cross Building, near Rose Garden, Sector 16, Chandigarh. The public authority is under the Government of Punjab, so the Punjab Right to Information Rules, 2017 apply, and this filing is presented in at least three sets in paper-book form for an appeal, or two for a complaint, as the Commission's office order on filing requires.
- Nature of this filing. This is a second appeal under section 19(3) of the Act against the decision of the First Appellate Authority, or against the absence of a decision within the time section 19(6) allows.
- Appellant. Harpreet Kaur Gill, House No. 2145, Sector 70, SAS Nagar (Mohali) 160071, email harpreet.gill@example.com, telephone +91 98150 22731.
- Officers of the public authority. The public authority is Greater Mohali Area Development Authority. The application was addressed to the Public Information Officer, Office of the Estate Officer (Housing), PUDA Bhawan, Sector 62, SAS Nagar (Mohali) 160062. The reply was given by the Estate Officer (Housing), who signed the reply. The first appeal lay to the First Appellate Authority, Additional Chief Administrator (Housing), PUDA Bhawan, Sector 62, SAS Nagar (Mohali) 160062.
- Particulars of the application. Filed on 1 April 2026 (RTI diary No. 1187/2026), the application asked for: 1. a certified copy of the approved building plan of House No. 2146, Sector 70; 2. copies of the site inspection reports; 3. the name and designation of the approving officer.
- Orders challenged. Reply of the Public Information Officer: letter No. EO(H)/RTI/4410 dated 25 September 2026, received on 29 September 2026, which answered question 1 in part and questions 2 and 3 not at all. First appeal filed on 3 April 2026. The First Appellate Authority has made a final order on it. Order of the First Appellate Authority: order No. ACA(H)/RTI/A-212 dated 14 November 2026, received on 18 November 2026, which upheld the reply.
- Brief facts. I applied for the building plan records on 2 September 2026. The reply of 25 September gave one page of the plan and nothing else. My first appeal of 20 October was decided on 14 November by upholding the reply without reasons.
- Time and remedies. Rule 10 of the applicable rules lets the Commission consider an appeal only after the first appeal has been decided or forty-five days have passed since it was preferred. The first appeal was due to be decided by 4 April 2026 under section 19(6), and this second appeal lies under section 19(3) within ninety days from the date on which that decision should have been made or was actually received, the last day being 2 April 2026. If it is out of time, I ask the Commission to admit it under the proviso to section 19(3), because I was prevented by sufficient cause: I was abroad for my daughter's surgery from 20 January to 10 March 2027, as the travel record enclosed shows.