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—file-rti-in-west-bengal [2026/04/23 00:47] (current) – created - external edit 127.0.0.1
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 +{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(rti west bengal,how to file rti west bengal,rti portal west bengal,state information commission west bengal,rti application west bengal,rti fee west bengal,rti procedure west bengal 2026,rti online west bengal)&metatag-description=(Step-by-step guide to filing an RTI application in West Bengal — state portal, fee, SIC address, sample template and appeal path. Rs. 10 fee. 2026 edition.)}}
 +
 +====== How to File RTI in West Bengal — Online & Postal Guide (2026) ======
 +
 +
 +
 +<WRAP center round tip 95%>
 +**Need help drafting this RTI?** Use our free **[[:tools:rti-assistant|RTI Assistant]]** — describe your problem, get a ready-to-file Section 6(1) application with your name and address pre-filled. Also handles First Appeal and Second Appeal to the CIC/SIC.
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +{{ :social:auto:file-rti-in-west-bengal.png?direct&1200 |How to file RTI in West Bengal — RTI Wiki }}
 +
 +{{page>_snippets:dpdp-banner}}
 +
 +<WRAP center round info 95%>
 +**In one line.** File your RTI either **online** at **https://rtionline.wb.gov.in** or by **Speed Post** to the Public Information Officer of the concerned department. Fee **Rs. 10** (Rs. 2 per page (A4); Rs. 50 per CD for copies). Statutory reply in **30 days**. If refused or silent, file a **First Appeal under §19(1) within 30 days**, then a **Second Appeal** to **West Bengal Information Commission (WBIC)**.
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +Part of **[[:file-rti-online-india|How to file RTI online in India]]** — this page covers the West Bengal state procedure.
 +
 +===== Where to file — the two routes =====
 +
 +==== Online (faster) ====
 +
 +  * **Portal:** ''https://rtionline.wb.gov.in''
 +  * Works for most West Bengal state departments, public undertakings, and major urban local bodies.
 +  * Fee is paid online through SBI e-Pay.
 +  * You get a **unique Registration Number** that you use for all follow-ups.
 +
 +==== By post (when the portal does not cover the public authority) ====
 +
 +  * Address the application to the **Public Information Officer, [Name of Public Authority], [Full address]**.
 +  * Send by **Speed Post with Acknowledgement Due**. Retain the receipt — it is your filing evidence.
 +  * Enclose the fee in one of the accepted modes: online via GRIPS (portal); IPO / DD in favour of 'PIO, [Department]' or 'Accounts Officer, [Department]' (postal); court-fee stamp.
 +
 +===== Fees — the exact breakdown =====
 +
 +  * **Application fee:** **Rs. 10** (BPL applicants: free, on production of a BPL card copy).
 +  * **Additional cost for copies:** Rs. 2 per page (A4); Rs. 50 per CD.
 +  * **Inspection of records:** free for the first hour; Rs. 5 for each subsequent 15 minutes (standard state rule).
 +  * **Fee modes:** online via GRIPS (portal); IPO / DD in favour of 'PIO, [Department]' or 'Accounts Officer, [Department]' (postal); court-fee stamp.
 +
 +Governing rules: //West Bengal Right to Information Rules, 2006 (as amended)//.
 +
 +===== Sample RTI application — West Bengal format =====
 +
 +<code>
 +To,
 +The Public Information Officer,
 +[Name of Public Authority],
 +[Full Address, West Bengal]
 +[PIN Code]
 +
 +Subject: Request for information under Section 6(1) of the
 +Right to Information Act, 2005.
 +
 +Sir / Madam,
 +
 +I, [Full Name], resident of [Complete Address with PIN], a citizen of
 +India, request the following information / records under the RTI Act:
 +
 +1. [Specific record, file number, or data you want — name the document]
 +2. [Date / period — anchor the timeframe]
 +3. [Identifier — your application number, account number, or similar]
 +4. Name and contact of the First Appellate Authority for this office.
 +
 +I enclose Rs. 10 by way of [IPO No. / DD No. / online payment ref.]
 +in favour of [Accounts Officer, concerned department].
 +
 +Please send the information to the address below by Registered Post.
 +
 +Yours faithfully,
 +[Signature]
 +Name:    __________________
 +Address: __________________
 +PIN:     __________________
 +Mobile:  __________________
 +Date:    __________________
 +</code>
 +
 +Need a topic-specific template? Pick from the **[[:guide:applicant:application:sample:start|sample RTI library]]** — FIR, admission, exam marks, ration card, pension, refund, and more.
 +
 +===== What happens next — the 30-day clock =====
 +
 +  - **Day 0** — PIO receives your RTI.
 +  - **Day 0–5** — Transfer under §6(3) if the matter sits with another public authority; the 30-day clock restarts from the date of transfer.
 +  - **Day 10–25** — Most routine requests are answered.
 +  - **Day 30** — Statutory reply deadline. Silence = deemed refusal under §7(2).
 +  - **Day 31 → Day 60** — **First Appeal** under §19(1) to the **Department FAA (one rank above PIO).**.
 +  - **Day 75 → Day 165** — **Second Appeal** under §19(3) to **WBIC at Kolkata.**.
 +
 +For deadlines in detail, see **[[:faa-first-appeal-timelines|First Appeal timelines]]** and **[[:faa-appellate-review-checklist|FAA appellate-review checklist]]**.
 +
 +===== West Bengal-specific things to know =====
 +
 +  * WBIC holds a substantial body of rulings on municipal, educational, and port-trust records.
 +  * For Kolkata Municipal Corporation, file directly to the KMC PIO; state portal coverage varies.
 +  * Bengali is the preferred language; English and Hindi are accepted.
 +  * For Panchayat-level RTI, route via the BDO office under the state RTI rules.
 +
 +===== State Information Commission — contact =====
 +
 +  * **Name:** West Bengal Information Commission (WBIC)
 +  * **Address:** Bhavishya Nirman Bhavan, DD-26, Sector-I, Salt Lake City, Kolkata - 700064
 +  * **Website:** ''wbic.gov.in''
 +
 +For §19(3) Second Appeals, file directly to the Commission's Registry — postal or online where the Commission's portal allows.
 +
 +===== Common mistakes when filing from West Bengal =====
 +
 +  * Filing at the wrong PIO — route via the concerned department, not the generic state grievance portal.
 +  * Asking "why" questions. **Ask for records, not answers** — see [[:blog:how-to-write-rti-application|the records-not-answers drafting guide]].
 +  * Missing the fee payment — even online filings fail if the payment is not completed.
 +  * Skipping the application reference / identifier that lets the PIO locate your file.
 +  * Drafting in English when the authority uses a regional language — use either, but be consistent.
 +
 +===== Notable RTI rulings from West Bengal (from the case-law corpus) =====
 +
 +  * **[[:cases:sic-wb-ration-irregularity-2022|Ration-card irregularities — West Bengal SIC]]** — FPS card-holder lists + monthly stock books are §4(1)(b)(xii) subsidy records — publicly disclosable.
 +  * **[[:cases:hc-calcutta-rti-teacher-recruitment-2022|School Service Commission records — Calcutta HC]]** — WBSSC recruitment: merit list + answer key + own marks disclosable; panel-internal deliberation §8(1)(e).
 +  * **[[:cases:hc-calcutta-rti-kolkata-port-trust-2020|Kolkata Port Trust records — Calcutta HC]]** — Kolkata Port Trust = §2(h); tender + land-lease records disclosable under §4(1)(b).
 +  * **[[:cases:calcutta-hc-rti-pio-transfer-2019|PIO transfer during pendency — Calcutta HC]]** — PIO transfer mid-pendency: successor inherits §7 obligation; outgoing PIO's §20 liability crystallised at transfer date.
 +  * **[[:cases:calcutta-hc-rti-fee-waiver|RTI fee for BPL applicants — Calcutta HC]]** — Production of BPL certificate is sufficient for RTI fee waiver; no additional proof may be demanded.
 +
 +Browse the **[[:cases|full case-law database — 362 curated rulings]]** and filter by court / section / keyword.
 +===== Related reading =====
 +
 +  * [[:file-rti-online-india|How to file RTI online — national guide]]
 +  * [[:why-rti-gets-rejected|Why RTI gets rejected — drafting fix-it guide]]
 +  * [[:blog:how-to-write-rti-application|Ask for records, not answers]]
 +  * [[:explanations:grounds-for-rejection|Grounds for RTI rejection]]
 +  * [[:faa-first-appeal-timelines|First Appeal timelines]]
 +  * [[:faa-appellate-review-checklist|FAA appellate-review checklist]]
 +  * [[:guide:applicant:application:sample:start|Sample RTI applications]]
 +  * [[:faq|RTI FAQ — 25 most-asked questions]]
 +
 +===== Sources =====
 +
 +  * Right to Information Act, 2005 (as amended 2019, 2023)
 +  * West Bengal Right to Information Rules, 2006 (as amended)
 +  * West Bengal Information Commission (WBIC) — annual reports
 +  * Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — §44(3), amending RTI §8(1)(j)
 +
 +----
 +
 +//Last reviewed: 21 April 2026.//
 +
 +{{tag>rti state-procedure file-rti-in-west-bengal daily-life}}
  
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