The transparency panel's ruling in which it described such boards and committees as public authority came on a petitioner's plea against the refusal of Dargah Committee Khwaja Saheb in Ajmer to give details of employees recruited by it and the remuneration paid to them.

Central Information Commissioner M M Ansari ordered the Committee to provide the information within 15 days to the complainant.

Abdul Mugni Chisti had earlier filed an RTI plea with the Committee for information on employees recruitment and payments made to them.

However, Chief Public Information Officer and the appellate authority had refused to furnish the details saying that the required information was not specified.

The Commission said, "Every public authority is required to pro-actively disclose the details of employees and the remuneration paid to them and the respondent (dargah) should have published the information so that the information seeker doesn't have to ask for it."