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Punjab State Information Commission
The Government of Punjab constituted the Punjab State Information Commission on 11th October,
2005.
Sh. Rajan Kashyap, IAS (Retd.), former Chief Secretary to Govt. Punjab was
appointed Chief Information Commissioner, Punjab under Section 15 of the Right to
Information Act, 2005 on the same day.
Chief Information Commissioner, Punjab :
Sh. Suresh Arora, IPS (Retd.), 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 10.07.2019 (AN). His term of office is upto 25.09.2023.
Qualification of CIC :- LLM (Master of Laws(University of London)); LL.B (Bachelor of Laws); Associate Member of Company Secretaries, The Institute of
Company Secretaries of India, New Delhi; Post Graduate Diploma in Office Organization and procedures Punjab University, Chd.; Bachelor of Commerce.
Passed an online course on RTI Act, 2005 conducted by Centre for Good Governance, Hyderabad.
Experience of CIC :- More than 36 year Experience as a Police Officer on various posts DGP Punjab, Additional Director General of Police, Inspector General of Police, Inspector General
of Police-cum-Director, Deputy Inspector General of Police and Senior Superintendent of Police; Retired as Director General of Police, Punjab.
3 year experience of Public Information Officer (PIO) in Police Deptt.
Awards :- Police Medal for Gallantry; Prakaram Medal; Special Duty Police Medal; Police Medal for Meritorious Services;
President Police Medal for Distinguished Services; DG's Commendation Disc
Former Chief Information Commissioner/s, Punjab
| Sr No. |
Name |
Term of Office |
| 1. |
Sh. Rajan Kashyap, IAS (Retd.) |
18.10.2005 to 29.07.2008 |
| 2. |
Sh. P.K. Verma, IAS (Retd.) officiating |
07.08.2008 to 28.06.2009 |
| 3. |
Sh. Ramesh Inder Singh, IAS (Retd.) |
29.06.2009 to 28.06.2014 |
| 4. |
Ms. Jaspal Kaur officiating |
25.07.2014 to 16.09.2014 |
| 5. |
Sh. Sarwan Singh Channy, IAS (Retd.) |
17.09.2014 to 04.05.2019 |
| 6. |
Sh. Yashvir Mahajan, IAS (Retd.) officiating |
09.05.2019 to 10.07.2019 |
Conditions of Service of the Chief Information Commissioner/ State Information Commissioner.
The salary and allowances payable to and other terms & conditions of service of
The State Chief Information Commissioner shall be the same as Central Election Commissioner and Judge of Supreme Court of India;
The State Information Commissioner shall be the same as the Chief Secretary of the State.
Office
The main office of the Commission is located at Red Cross Building, Near Rose Garden, Sector 16, Chandigarh.
It houses the office of the Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioners namely
Dr. Pawan Kumar Singla,
Ms.Preety Chawla,
Sh. Hem Inder Singh,
Sh. Avtar Singh Kaler,
Sh. Khushwant Singh,
Sh. Sanjiv Garg,
Sh. Asit Jolly and
Lt Gen Ajae Kumar Sharma (Retd.) with their personal staff and 4 court rooms.
Information Commissioners
The State Information Commissioners have been administered the oath of office by the Governer of Punjab i.e Sarv Sh/Smt/Dr.
| Sr No. |
Name |
Date of Oath/ Joining |
Date of super-annuation |
Qualification & Experience |
| 1. |
Pawan Kumar Singla |
24.02.2016 |
23.02.2021 |
M.A.(History), M.Phil, B.Lib Science, Ph.D.
Experience : 27 years of teaching experience at Multani Mal Modi College, Patiala and 5 years Research Experience. Served as Controller of Examinations for the last about 6 years at Punjabi University, Patiala |
| 2. |
Preety Chawla |
08.09.2016 |
07.09.2021 |
B.Sc. Home Science from Punjabi University Patiala, Punjab. PGD in Dietetics and Public Health and Nutrition.
Experience : Worked as Sr. Dietician & Asst. Professor at Gian Sagar Medical College & Hospital, Banur. Vice Chairperson at Haryana State Commission for Women, Convener 10th perspective plan for women of Haryana |
| 3. |
Hem Inder Singh |
23.12.2016 |
22.12.2021 |
M.A. (Political Science)
Experience : Member, Khalsa College Governing Council, Amritsar. Member, Chief Khalsa Diwan, Amritsar. Vice-President, S.Desa Singh Majithia Public School, Majitha. Chairman, Majitha Co-operative Marketing cum Processing Society, Majitha. |
| 4. |
Avtar Singh Kaler |
23.12.2016 |
22.12.2021 |
M.A. (Political Science). LLB
Experience : Thirty years as Advocate. |
| 5. |
Khushwant Singh |
13.03.2018 |
12.03.2023 |
B.A. and Bachelor of Mass Communication from Panjab University, Chandigarh.
Experience :
He has a wide range of experience in media & writing. He has authored five books and is a former consulting editor Day & Night News. He is also a former columnist, Hindustan Times.
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| 6. |
Sanjiv Garg |
13.03.2018 |
24.09.2022 |
Law Graduate from Punjabi University Patiala, Punjab.
Experience :
Vice Chairman, Punjab Agro- Industries Corp. Ltd. Had been running M/s.Patiala Industries and M/s.Raja Foundry & Engg. Works. President, Maharaja Aggrsain Seva Dal. Advisor, Aruna Asif Memorial Trust. Past President, Rotary Club Mid Town, Patiala. Past President Pb., Akhil Bharitya Vaish Federation. Member, Free Mason's Lodge, Patiala. Member, S.D. Kumar Sabha (Regd.), Patiala.
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| 7. |
Asit Jolly |
10.07.2019 |
09.07.2024 |
PhD in Paleaontology (Earth Science); MSc Honours in Geology; BSc Honours in Geology
Experience :
Deputy Editor with India Today magazine in Chandigarh responsible for covering Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
Also reported on issues like aviation safety, poverty, science, social trends and political developments in Assam, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat etc.
Special Correspondent with The Asian Age/ Deccan Chronicle newspaper.
Correspondent with the BBC’s South Asia Regional Unit (SARU), Hindi Service, Urdu Service and BBC News Online.
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| 8. |
Lt Gen Ajae Kumar Sharma UYSM, YSM, SM (Retd.) |
09.10.2019 |
04.08.2023 |
B.Sc ; M.Sc (Defence & Strategic Studies) ; M.Phil (Defence & Management Studies) and
M.Phil (Defence & Strategic Studies)
Military Qualification : PSc, Higher command, NDC and also attended counter terrorism and security studies course in Germany.
Experience :
Illustrious military career spanning 38 years. Commissioned into 2nd Battalion The Sikh Regiment and commanded the same on the Line of Control. Subsequently commanded a Brigade in the North East, a Rashtriya Rifles Force in J&K and a Corps deployed along Line of Control in J&K.
Commanded a multinational Brigade as part of United Nations in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Pioneered the implementation of RTI Act in the Army when RTI Act was enacted in 2005.
Held important staff appointments at Army HQ and HQ IDS.
Awards : Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM) ; Yudh Seva Medal (YSM) ; Sena Medal and COAS Commendation Card.
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Former State Information Commissioner/s Punjab
| Sr. |
Name |
Date of Oath |
Date of Retirement |
| 1. |
Sh. R.K.Gupta |
17.05.2006 |
20.01.2010 |
| 2. |
Lt.Gen (Retd.) P.K.Grover |
25.01.2007 |
17.11.2010 |
| 3. |
Smt. Rupan Deol Bajaj (IAS Retd.) |
17.05.2006 |
22.12.2010 |
| 4. |
Sh. Darbara Singh Kahlon |
09.06.2009 |
12.03.2011 |
| 5. |
Sh. P.K. Verma (IAS Retd.) |
17.05.2006 |
16.05.2011 |
| 6. |
Er. Surinder Singh |
17.05.2006 |
16.05.2011 |
| 7. |
Sh. Kulbir Singh |
25.01.2007 |
24.01.2012 |
| 8. |
Sh. P.P.S. Gill |
25.01.2007 |
24.01.2012 |
| 9. |
Smt. Ravi Singh |
25.01.2007 |
24.01.2012 |
| 10. |
Smt. Jaspal Kaur |
13.11.2009 |
27.10.2014 (Resigned) |
| 11. |
Sh. Narinderjit Singh (IAS Retd.) |
14.02.2012 |
01.12.2014 |
| 12. |
Sh. B.C.Thakur (IAS Retd.) |
11.08.2011 |
14.06.2015 |
| 13. |
Sh. Satinder Pal Singh (IAS Retd.) |
28.05.2012 |
31.07.2015 |
| 14. |
Sh. Surinder Awasthi |
14.02.2012 |
27.01.2016 |
| 15. |
Sh. Harinderpal Singh Mann |
14.02.2012 |
08.02.2016 (Resigned) |
| 16. |
Sh. Chander Parkash |
11.08.2011 |
10.08.2016 |
| 17. |
Sh. Parveen Kumar (IAS Retd.) |
28.05.2012 |
02.12.2016 (Resigned) |
| 18. |
Sh. Ravinder Singh Nagi |
14.02.2012 |
16.01.2017 (Resigned) |
| 19. |
Sh. Alwinderpal Singh Pakhoke |
24.02.2016 |
19.10.2017 |
| 20. |
Ms. Viney Kapoor Mehra |
08.09.2016 |
10.03.2019 (Resigned) |
| 21. |
Sh. Ajit Singh Chandurian |
28.10.2014 |
31.03.2019 |
| 22. |
Sh. Yashvir Mahajan (IAS Retd.) |
23.04.2015 |
09.12.2019 |
| 23. |
Sh. Nidharak Singh Brar |
23.04.2015 |
22.04.2020 |
Secretary of the Commission
Sh.Rajiv Kumar Gupta, PCS assumed additional charge on 17th March, 2020.
Former Secretary/s of Punjab State Information Commission
| Sr No. |
Name |
Term of Office |
| 1. |
Sh.S.S. Sandhu, IAS |
21.02.2006 to 18.09.2006 |
| 2. |
Sh.S.S. Grewal, IDES |
08.02.2007 to 08.02.2010 |
| 3. |
Sh.S.S. Sandhu, IAS |
11.02.2010 to 31.12.2011 |
| 4. |
Dr. Arvinder Singh, IAS |
20.06.2012 to 31.08.2015 |
| 5. |
Ms.Jasvinder Kaur Sidhu, IAS |
06.04.2016 to 16.08.2016 |
| 6. |
Sh.J.M. Balamurugan, IAS |
24.08.2016 to 13.12.2016 |
| 7. |
Dr. Amarpal Singh, IAS |
13.12.2016 to 05.09.2017 |
| 8. |
Ms.Jasvinder Kaur Sidhu, IAS |
08.02.2018 to 06.03.2019 |
| 9. |
Ms.Madhavi Kataria, IAS |
11.03.2019 to 03.03.2020 |
Powers and functions of Punjab State Information Commission attention is drawn to sections
18,19,20 & 25 of the RTI Act, 2005.
Staff and source of Appointment:-
From Government: (Three persons)
Secretary to Commission (1)
Accounts Officer (1)
Secretary to CIC (1)
From Contract or Outsource:-
Deputy Registrar (1)
Personal Assistant (12)
Reader (11)
Senior Assistant (1)
Section Officer(1)
Accountant(1)
I.T. Professional (2)
Bill Clerk(1)
Receptionist (1)
Data Entry Operator (5)
Peon-cum-Messenger (1)
Peon(12)
Driver (11)
Legal Professional on Retainership (1)
Management of affairs of Punjab State Information Commission
Section 15(4) of the Act
lays down that the general superintendence, direction and management of the affairs
of the State Information Commission shall vest in the State Chief Information Commissioner
who shall be assisted by the State Information Commissioners and may exercise all
such powers and do all such acts and things which may be exercised or done by Punjab
State Information Commission autonomously without being subjected to directions
by any other authority under this Act.
Coordinating Department
Department of Governance Reforms is the Administrative
Co-ordinating Department of the State Government in respect of the Commission.
Jurisidiction:
All Public Authorities in the State of Punjab.
Objective:
The Punjab State Information Commission is the statutory Commission for fulfilling the mandate assigned
in the Right to Information Act, 2005.
Role of Punjab State Informration Commission as a Public Authority
Punjab State Information Commission exercises powers for implementation of RTI Act under Sections 18,19,20
and 25.
At the same time Punjab State Information Commission is itself a Public
Authority as defined in section 2(h) of RTI Act, 2005.
Section 4 describes the
obligations of public authority under the Act as below:-
"Section 4.
- Every public authority shall—
- maintain all its records duly catalogued and indexed in a manner
and the form which facilitates the right to information under this Act and ensure
that all records that are appropriate to be computerised are, within a reasonable
time and subject to availability of resources, computerised and connected through
a network all over the country on different systems so that access to such records
is facilitated;
- publish within one hundred and twenty days from the enactment
of this Act,—
- the par ticulars of its organisation, functions and duties;
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the powers and duties of its officers and employees;
- the procedure followed in the decision making process, including channels of supervision and accountability;
- the norms set by it for the discharge of its functions;
- the rules, regulations, instructions, manuals and records, held by it or under its control or used by its
employees for discharging its functions;
- a statement of the categories of documents that are held by it or under its control;
- the particulars of any arrangement that exists for consultation with, or representation by, the members of the public
in relation to the formulation of its policy or implementation thereof;
- a statement of the boards, councils, committees and other bodies consisting of two
or more persons constituted as its part or for the purpose of its advice, and as
to whether meetings of those boards, councils, committees and other bodies are open
to the public, or the minutes of such meetings are accessible for public;
- a directory of its officers and employees;
- the monthly remuneration received by each of its officers and employees, including the system of compensation as provided
in its regulations;
- the budget allocated to each of its agency, indicating the particulars of all plans, proposed expenditures and reports on disbursements
made;
- the manner of execution of subsidy programmes, including the amounts allocated and the details of beneficiaries of such programmes;
- particulars
of recipients of concessions, permits or authorisations granted by it;
- details in respect of the information, available to or held by it, reduced in an electronic
form;
- the particulars of facilities available to citizens for obtaining information, including the working hours of a library or reading room, if maintained for public
use;
- the names, designations and other particulars of the Public Information Officers;
- such other information as may be prescribed; and thereafter update
these publications every year
- publish all relevant facts while formulating important
policies or announcing the decisions which affect public;
- provide reasons for
its administrative or quasi-judicial decisions to affected persons.
- It shall
be a constant endeavour of every public authority to take steps in accordance with
the requirements of clause (b) of sub-section (1) to provide as much information
suo motu to the public at regular intervals through various means of communications,
including internet, so that the public have minimum resort to the use of this Act
to obtain information.
- For the purposes of sub-section (1), every information
shall be disseminated widely and in such form and manner which is easily accessible
to the public.
- All materials shall be disseminated taking into consideration
the cost effectiveness, local language and the most effective method of communication
in that local area and the information should be easily accessible, to the extent
possible in electronic format with the Central Public Information Officer or State
Public Information Officer, as the case may be, available free or at such cost of
the medium or the print cost price as may be prescribed.
Explanation.—
For the purposes
of sub-sections (3) and (4), "disseminated" means making known or communicated the
information to the public through notice boards, newspapers, public announcements,
media broadcasts, the internet or any other means, including inspection of offices
of any public authority. "
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