CHANDIGARH, Sept. 25, 2026: Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has raised questions over the alleged expenditure of ₹3.50 crore on a school-related function in Amritsar in 2023, while also alleging that Punjab’s Right to Information (RTI) system has been facing serious delays.
In a post on X, Khaira said information obtained through an RTI application showed that ₹3.50 crore of public money was spent on a single school function in Amritsar. He alleged that the expenditure was made during Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government and claimed that the event was politically motivated. These claims are Khaira’s allegations; the underlying RTI documents would be needed to independently establish the expenditure and its purpose.
Khaira linked the expenditure to the broader issue of Punjab’s finances, arguing that what he described as “futile expenditure” has contributed to the state’s financial difficulties. His comments come amid continuing political debate over Punjab’s debt and government spending.
RTI information allegedly supplied after nearly three years
Khaira also focused on the delay in providing the RTI information to activist Rajandeep Singh. According to Khaira, the information was supplied almost three years after the RTI process began.
The Right to Information Act is intended to promote transparency and accountability in government functioning. The Amritsar district administration itself describes RTI as a mechanism to empower citizens, promote transparency and accountability, and help contain corruption.
The issue of delayed or incomplete RTI responses has also reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In a September 2023 judgment, the court dealt with cases in which information had allegedly not been supplied despite directions from the Punjab State Information Commission, and held that cryptic disposal of such applications without proper consideration was not legally sustainable.
Khaira flags backlog before Information Commission
The Congress leader further claimed that nearly 16,000 appeals are pending before the Punjab State Information Commission, alleging that applicants are frequently forced to approach the Commission because information is not supplied at the initial level.
The official Punjab State Information Commission website currently provides a system for checking the status of second appeals and complaints, as well as information concerning penalties, compensation and disciplinary proceedings against Public Information Officers.
Recent court proceedings also demonstrate that RTI disputes remain active in Punjab. In August 2026, the Punjab and Haryana High Court considered a challenge involving an order of the Punjab State Information Commission concerning an RTI application filed in 2023. The court ultimately upheld the Commission’s decision in that particular case.
Transparency question moves to centre stage
Khaira’s three-pronged criticism therefore centres on public expenditure, delayed access to government information and the workload of the State Information Commission.
The controversy now raises a larger governance question: if citizens have to wait years to obtain information about government spending, how effectively can RTI serve as a tool of public accountability?
At the same time, the specific ₹3.50-crore figure, the details of the Amritsar function, the exact RTI timeline and the claimed 16,000-case backlog should be checked against the underlying RTI documents and official Commission records before being treated as independently verified figures.
