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+{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(file rti west bengal,rti online west bengal,wb rti portal,west bengal state information commission,rti fee west bengal,rti kolkata,rti howrah,wbsic)&metatag-description=(File RTI online in West Bengal — complete 2026 guide. WB RTI process, fees, timelines, appeal routes. West Bengal State Information Commission at Kolkata. Bengali filing, templates for land, KMC, school-education, police records.)}}
+====== File RTI in West Bengal — 2026 guide ======
+**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.**
+{{page>_snippets:dpdp-banner}}
+===== Where to file =====
+| **Department** | **Where** | **Fee** |
+| Central Government | rtionline.gov.in | Rs 10 |
+| WB Government (Land & LR, Home, Education, Health, Panchayat & RD) | Department RTI Cell | Rs 10 |
+| Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) | KMC RTI Cell at SN Banerjee Road | Rs 10 |
+| Other municipalities (Howrah, Bidhannagar, Siliguri, etc.) | Municipality office | Rs 10 |
+| Panchayat / Zilla Parishad | BDO / ZP office | Rs 10 |
+| West Bengal Police | District SP / Kolkata Police HQ, Lalbazar | Rs 10 |
+===== West Bengal State Information Commission =====
+  * **Address**: Bhabani Bhaban, Alipore, Kolkata-700027
+  * **Website**: https://wbsic.wb.gov.in
+  * **Second Appeal**: within 90 days of FAA decision
+===== West Bengal-specific points =====
+  * **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 **[[:cases/sic-wb-ration-irregularity-2022|WB SIC 2022]]**, FPS ration-card holder lists and monthly stock books are §4(1)(b)(xii) material.
+===== Templates =====
+**Template 1 — LR / Khatian records**
+<code>
+Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005:
+. Copy of the R.S / L.R Khatian for Dag No. [DN],
+   Mouza [mouza], J.L. No. [JL], P.S. [ps], District [district].
+. Copies of all mutation orders from [start] to [end].
+. Current Khatian status (Porcha).
+. Copy of the BL&LRO order on any pending mutation.
+</code>
+**Template 2 — KMC property-tax records**
+<code>
+Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005:
+. Copy of the property-tax assessment for Premises No. [PN],
+   Assessee No. [AN], Ward [ward], Kolkata Municipal Corporation,
+   for the years [range].
+. Copy of any mutation / name-transfer application and result.
+. Current tax dues and payment history.
+. Notices served.
+</code>
+**Template 3 — Government school information**
+<code>
+Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005:
+. Sanctioned teacher strength at [School name],
+   Circle [circle], [District] for the current academic year.
+. Teacher attendance for [month].
+. MDM scheme disbursal — student count, foodgrain, money released
+   for [month].
+. Infrastructure grants received and utilised in FY [year].
+</code>
+===== Notable West Bengal rulings =====
+  * **[[:cases/sic-wb-ration-irregularity-2022|Ration-card irregularities — WB SIC 2022]]**
+===== When an RTI fails =====
+  - First Appeal to FAA within 30 days.
+  - Second Appeal to **WB SIC**, Bhabani Bhaban, Kolkata, within 90 days.
+  - Writ to Calcutta HC under Article 226.
+===== FAQs =====
+**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.
+===== 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 =====
+  * [[:file-rti-online-india|Pan-India RTI filing]]
+  * [[:file-rti-bihar|Bihar]] · [[:file-rti-maharashtra|MH]] · [[:file-rti-karnataka|KA]] · [[:file-rti-tamil-nadu|TN]] · [[:file-rti-delhi|DL]] · [[:file-rti-kerala|KL]] · [[:file-rti-up|UP]] · [[:file-rti-gujarat|GJ]]
+  * [[:rti-fees-by-state|RTI fees by State]]
+===== External =====
+  * WB SIC: https://wbsic.wb.gov.in
+  * WB Government: https://wb.gov.in
+  * Banglarbhumi: http://banglarbhumi.gov.in
+  * KMC: https://www.kmcgov.in
+~~NOCACHE~~
+//Last reviewed: 22 April 2026.//
+{{tag>state-guide west-bengal wb rti kolkata wbsic}}

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