Every municipal work runs on a fixed paper trail: estimate, sanction, tender, work order, measurement book, inspection report, completion certificate, payment voucher. An RTI under Section 6 of the RTI Act 2005 asking the municipal corporation, panchayat or development authority for these documents about a specific road, drain, streetlight or building plan, plus the file movement, normally moves the work within a month, and exposes shoddy work or fake completion certificates.
Use this guide when (a) the road outside your house is broken for months despite written complaints; (b) the drain is overflowing; © the streetlight is dead; (d) garbage is uncollected; (e) you submitted a building plan and the municipal officer is sitting on it; (f) you suspect a building permission was granted in violation of bylaws.
The Supreme Court in Almitra Patel v Union of India (2000) and the various High Courts have repeatedly directed municipal bodies to maintain transparent records of works, sanitation contracts and building permissions.
To, The Public Information Officer, [Municipal Corporation / Development Authority / Nagar Palika], [City] [Full address] Subject: RTI under Section 6 regarding [Road / Drain / Streetlight / Garbage / Building plan] in Ward [No.] near [Address landmark] Sir / Madam, I, [Full name], a citizen of India, resident of [Address], request the following information under the RTI Act 2005. Fee of Rs. 10 paid by IPO no. [number]. In respect of the [scope of work] outside [exact landmark, road name, ward number]: 1. Was a complaint received in your office about this work? Provide complaint number, date, name of complainant (with personal data redacted under Section 10), and present status. 2. Provide certified copy of the estimate, technical sanction and administrative sanction order, including amount. 3. Provide tender notice, list of bidders, comparative statement, evaluation report, and final award letter. 4. Provide work order issued to the contractor, contractor name, agreement number and date. 5. Provide measurement book entries, running bill, final bill and payment voucher. 6. Provide inspection report by the section officer, executive engineer and superintending engineer. 7. Provide completion certificate, date of completion, and date of handover for maintenance. 8. Provide name, designation and contact of the contractor and the engineer-in-charge. 9. Provide details of any fine or penalty imposed for delay or substandard work. 10. Provide present location of the file and the present custodian. For building plan applications, additionally: - Sanction status, FAR calculation sheet, NOCs (fire, structural, lift, water, sewer), and reason recorded for delay. I invoke Section 10 (severability) and Section 6(3) (transfer to right office). I undertake to pay further fee under Section 7(3). Yours faithfully, [Signature, name, date]
Yes. Every municipal corporation, nagar palika, panchayat, and development authority is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act.
Yes. Ask for the list of works awarded to that contractor in the last three years and any blacklisting orders. Many corporations maintain a blacklisted contractor database.
After getting the file noting and FAR calculation by RTI, file a complaint with the Director, Town and Country Planning, attaching the RTI reply, plus a vigilance complaint.
Yes. The MB is a public record under the Public Works Account Code. Ask for certified extracts of the relevant pages, not the full book.
Most corporations publish a ward map online. Or call the helpline of the corporation.
Yes. Section 2(h)(d) covers “any other body constituted by or under any law made by Parliament or State Legislature”. Panchayats fully qualify.
Yes. Most corporations publish sanitation tender data under Section 4(1)(b). If not, RTI is the path.
Last reviewed: 9 May 2026.