The Delhi High Court has sought the Centre’s reply on a PIL alleging that the public information officers (PIO) and the appellate authorities under

the RTI Act are “resorting various tactics to avoid providing information” to information seekers.

A division bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Jayant Nath issued notices to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Delhi government, Central Information Commission, MCD and others and sought their responses by July 31 on a PIL seeking effective enforcement of the RTI Act.

Petitioner Anil Dutt Sharma, claimed in his plea that he had filed several RTI applications before various authorities seeking information but he had received “fake, baseless and bogus” replies of PIOs.