West Bengal accepts RTI at Central (rtionline.gov.in, Rs 10), State (at the department in person / by post, Rs 10), and local-body (KMC, municipality, panchayat — Rs 10) levels. Bengali, Hindi, English, Urdu and Nepali are all accepted under §4(3) and West Bengal Official Languages Act. The West Bengal State Information Commission sits at Bhabani Bhaban, Kolkata. Practical response times 30-45 days.

• Address: Bhabani Bhaban, Alipore, Kolkata-700027
• Website: https://wbsic.wb.gov.in
• Second Appeal: within 90 days of FAA decision

• Bengali filing: §4(3) and WB Official Languages Act — Bengali fully accepted. Many State-department RTIs in Bengal are received and disposed in Bengali.
• Urdu / Nepali: WB Government accepts these as official State languages under specific notifications — valid for RTI filing.
• Bengali date conventions: some State-department responses use Bengali numerals (বৈশাখ etc.) — ensure you track both.
• Land records (LR): bhulekh Bengal (http://banglarbhumi.gov.in) has strong proactive disclosure; many khatian / R.S / L.R records are published under §4(1)(b).
• Notable SIC ruling: per WB SIC 2022, FPS ration-card holder lists and monthly stock books are §4(1)(b)(xii) material.

Template 1 — LR / Khatian records

Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005:

1. Copy of the R.S / L.R Khatian for Dag No. [DN],
   Mouza [mouza], J.L. No. [JL], P.S. [ps], District [district].
2. Copies of all mutation orders from [start] to [end].
3. Current Khatian status (Porcha).
4. Copy of the BL&LRO order on any pending mutation.

Template 2 — KMC property-tax records

Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005:

1. Copy of the property-tax assessment for Premises No. [PN],
   Assessee No. [AN], Ward [ward], Kolkata Municipal Corporation,
   for the years [range].
2. Copy of any mutation / name-transfer application and result.
3. Current tax dues and payment history.
4. Notices served.

Template 3 — Government school information

Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005:

1. Sanctioned teacher strength at [School name],
   Circle [circle], [District] for the current academic year.
2. Teacher attendance for [month].
3. MDM scheme disbursal — student count, foodgrain, money released
   for [month].
4. Infrastructure grants received and utilised in FY [year].

• Ration-card irregularities — WB SIC 2022

1. First Appeal to FAA within 30 days.
2. Second Appeal to WB SIC, Bhabani Bhaban, Kolkata, within 90 days.
3. Writ to Calcutta HC under Article 226.

Q1: Can I file RTI in Bengali in West Bengal? Yes. §4(3) and State policy permit Bengali; Urdu and Nepali also accepted under specific State notifications.

Q2: Is there a unified WB RTI portal? No single portal; specific departments have their own forms. Paper filing remains statutorily valid.

Q3: How long does a WB RTI take? 30-45 days for State matters; 40-55 for KMC and Home Department.

Q4: Where is WB SIC? Bhabani Bhaban, Alipore, Kolkata. Website: wbsic.wb.gov.in.

Q5: Is the Land & LR portal enough to avoid RTI? For routine khatian / R.S records, yes — check banglarbhumi.gov.in first.

• Ration-card irregularities — West Bengal SIC — FPS card-holder lists + monthly stock books are §4(1)(b)(xii) subsidy records — publicly disclosable.
• School Service Commission records — Calcutta HC — WBSSC recruitment: merit list + answer key + own marks disclosable; panel-internal deliberation §8(1)(e).
• Kolkata Port Trust records — Calcutta HC — Kolkata Port Trust = §2(h); tender + land-lease records disclosable under §4(1)(b).
• PIO transfer during pendency — Calcutta HC — PIO transfer mid-pendency: successor inherits §7 obligation; outgoing PIO's §20 liability crystallised at transfer date.
• RTI fee for BPL applicants — Calcutta HC — Production of BPL certificate is sufficient for RTI fee waiver; no additional proof may be demanded.

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• RTI fees by State

• WB SIC: https://wbsic.wb.gov.in
• WB Government: https://wb.gov.in
• Banglarbhumi: http://banglarbhumi.gov.in
• KMC: https://www.kmcgov.in

Last reviewed: 22 April 2026.