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Punjab State Information Commission
[Extract from Punjab Government Gazette (Extra), dated the 11th -October, 2005]
GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB
Notification The 11th October, 2005
No. 2/24/05-IAR/578.- In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (I) of Section 15 of the "Right to Information Act, 2005" (Central Act No. 22 of 2005) and all others powers enabling him in this behalf, the Governor of Punjab is pleased to constitute the Punjab State Information Commission to exercise the powers conferred upon and to Perform the functions assigned to it under Chapter IV, V, VI and other provisions of the Act and to appoint Sh. Rajan Kashyap, IAS (Retd.), as State Chief Information Commissioner of the aforesaid Commission.
Chief Information Commissioner, Punjab
Sh. Inderpal Singh has been administered the oath of Chief Information Commissioner, Punjab under section 15 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 and joined the office on 29.01.2024.
Video Conference facility and Hybrid Virtual Hearing System
The Punjab State Information Commission offers both a dedicated Video Conferencing (VC) facility and a comprehensive hybrid hearing model across all 23 districts of Punjab to streamline RTI proceedings, optimize resources, and accelerate the delivery of justice.
Launched on March 3, 2011, by H.E. the Governor of Punjab, the Video Conference facility initiative initially connected the Commission's office in Chandigarh with four border districts: Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, and Ludhiana. To eliminate the need for long-distance travel, hearings are securely conducted directly from the offices of the respective district Deputy Commissioners. The infrastructure was systematically expanded to Jalandhar, Mansa, and Sri Muktsar Sahib in March 2015, followed by Sangrur in September 2016. By July 2017, the network integrated the remaining 14 original districts: Fatehgarh Sahib, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar (Ropar), Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali), Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr), Moga, Faridkot, Patiala, Bathinda, Barnala, Pathankot, and Fazilka. Full statewide coverage was achieved following the creation of Malerkotla as Punjab's 23rd district in May 2021.
To further modernize its operations, the Commission introduced a Hybrid Virtual Hearing System in May 2020 utilizing the Cisco Webex platform. Under this model, appellants, complainants, and Public Information Officers (PIOs) retain full discretion over their method of attendance.
Litigants can choose to utilize the dedicated video conferencing facilities at their local Deputy Commissioner's office, connect remotely via the virtual Webex platform from any location, or appear physically before the Commission in Chandigarh. To ensure seamless administrative setup and technical coordination, participants must notify the Commission in advance of their preferred mode of submission. By eliminating the requirement to travel to Chandigarh for hearings, this facility (Video Conference / hybrid hearing) minimizes expenditures and saves significant time for both the public and public authorities, resulting in the expedient and early disposal of RTI cases to benefit all involved parties.
