Srinagar, July 8 -- Taking strong exception to the delay in deciding Right to Information applications in the union territory, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has directed the Central Information Commission to take measures to expedite their disposal, saying the commission cannot sit over the appeals for an unduly long period.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Mohammad Yousuf Wani while disposing of a PIL last week, however, said the court by issuing a mandamus, cannot fix a timeline of 45 days for the CIC for disposal of the second appeals and complaints by the CIC, as prayed for by the petitioner.

The court said the Right to Information Act, 2005 does not lay down any timeline for deciding...