Agartala: The Tripura Human Rights Commission (THRC) has directed the state Revenue Department to investigate allegations of misconduct against officials of the Directorate of Land Records and Settlement (DLRS) during proceedings related to a Right to Information (RTI) appeal.
In an interim order, the Commission, headed by Justice Arindam Lodh, asked the Secretary of the Revenue Department to examine the allegations made by advocate Uttam Das, a member of the Tripura Bar Association, and submit a report before the next hearing.
“Before taking cognizance of the complaint, the Commission thinks it appropriate to send a copy of the complaint to the Secretary, Revenue Department, Government of Tripura, with a request to conduct an inquiry into the allegations made by the complainant and submit a report by the next date,” the order stated.
According to the complaint, Das alleged that the State Public Information Officer (SPIO), the RTI Cell dealing assistant and the First Appellate Authority (FAA) acted inappropriately during an RTI appeal hearing held on July 1 after he questioned the manner in which his RTI application had been processed and objected to the service of the hearing notice.
The complaint said Das had submitted an RTI application on April 2 but did not receive a response within the time prescribed under the RTI Act. He subsequently filed a first appeal and later sent a reminder. Although the department eventually furnished a partial reply, he alleged that several requested documents were still withheld.
The Commission noted that Das alleged the SPIO became confrontational after he referred to the penalty provisions under Section 20 of the RTI Act. According to the complaint, the SPIO accused him of “breaching decorum” and “wasting official time” and allegedly told him that he “should not argue before the FAA.”
The complaint further alleged that the First Appellate Authority remained largely passive and did not intervene despite the conduct of the SPIO and the dealing assistant. It also claimed that the SPIO walked out of the hearing before the proceedings concluded.
Das also alleged that the RTI Cell dealing assistant remarked that “even if a complaint was made to the Human Rights Commission, nothing would happen.”
The complaint further claimed that the SPIO suggested the RTI application fee should be increased because the law was being misused and alleged that records related to land conversion and other associated procedures were deliberately withheld despite being available with the department.
Observing that the allegations warranted verification, the Commission directed the Revenue Department to conduct an inquiry and submit its findings before the next hearing.
The matter has been listed for July 28, 2026, when the Commission will consider the inquiry report to be submitted by the Secretary of the Revenue Department.