HC orders action against officials over RTI lapse on Naigaon Peacock Sanctuary

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court has ordered action against concerned officials for failing to provide information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act regarding funds received and expenditure for the Naigaon Peacock Sanctuary in Patoda taluka of Beed district between 2018 and 2023.

During the hearing, the government pleader informed the court that departmental inquiry proceedings would be initiated against the officers as per the State Information Commission’s directions, and the requested information would be furnished within one month. Accordingly, Justices Vibha Kankanwadi and Hiten Vennegavkar passed the order on February 11, 2026. Petitioner Balaji Bedre alleged that crores of rupees allocated by the Maharashtra government for wildlife conservation at the sanctuary were misappropriated, with works shown only on paper. The sanctuary is home to peacocks, blackbuck, wolves, foxes, hares, and over 100 bird species, and attracts lakhs of tourists annually. After receiving no response to his complaints, Bedre sought fund and expenditure details under the RTI Act. When the Public Information Officer failed to reply, he filed a first appeal before the assistant conservator of forests, Paithan, which was rejected citing non-availability of information. He then filed a second appeal before the State Information Commission in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, which directed officials to provide the information within 30 days. As the order was not implemented, Bedre approached the High Court through advocate Shashikant Shekde, assisted by advocates Prithviraj Dhakane, Vishal Thaware, Rohit Narwade, and Sudarshan Jojo, following which the court ordered action and compliance.