How citizens use RTI to track Swadesh Darshan, PRASHAD, SASCI projects

Quick answer. Every project sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan 1.0, Swadesh Darshan 2.0, CBDD, PM-JUGA tribal homestays, PRASHAD, or SASCI Iconic Tourist Centres is a public-authority record disclosable under Section 4(1)(b)(xii) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 (proactive disclosure of “the manner of execution of subsidy programmes including the amounts allocated and the details of beneficiaries”). Citizens can file an RTI to the Public Information Officer of the Ministry of Tourism (central scheme records), the Department of Expenditure (SASCI loan records), or the State Tourism Department / State Tourism Development Corporation (state-side execution records) and demand: (a) the sanction order with cost build-up; (b) the Detailed Project Report (DPR); © quarterly progress reports; (d) the tender + awarded contractor; (e) completion certificates by component; (f) the O&M plan; (g) CAG audit observations if any. The PIO must reply within 30 days under Section 7(1). Refusal under §8(1)(d) “commercial confidence” routinely fails on appeal — RBI v. Jayantilal N. Mistry, (2016) 5 SCC 136, and Eastern Coalfields Ltd. v. WBIC (Calcutta HC 2015) establish that procurement / scheme records are not trade secrets. Total cost: Rs 10 application fee, zero for BPL applicants under §7(5). This guide gives the right PIO targets per scheme, the sample RTI letter, and the next-step ladder if the PIO doesn't reply.

• Sanction order — date, sanction reference, cost build-up, scheme component, scheme guidelines applied
• DPR — the Detailed Project Report as approved by the CSMC / DoE
• Tender + technical evaluation minutes — contractor selection trail
• Awarded contractor + contract value — work order date, scope, milestones
• Quarterly / annual progress reports filed with the Ministry / DoE
• Disbursement schedule — milestone-linked tranches, dates of release, amounts disbursed
• Completion certificates — by component
• O&M plan — post-completion arrangement, named maintainer, period
• CAG audit observations — if any, with management replies
• Concurrent monitoring reports — internal-audit / quality-supervision records
• For SASCI — loan-disbursement schedule + repayment terms; State's Memorandum of Understanding with DoE

To,
The Public Information Officer,
[Ministry of Tourism / Department of Expenditure / State Tourism Department],
[Office address],
[PIN]

Subject: Application under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information
         Act, 2005 — [Scheme name] sanctioned project at [destination
         / district / state]

Date: [DD MMMM YYYY]

Respected Sir / Madam,

1. I, [Your full name], a citizen of India, am filing this application
under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 in respect
of the [Scheme name — e.g., PRASHAD / Swadesh Darshan 2.0 / CBDD /
SASCI] sanctioned project at [destination / district / state].

2. Project reference (if known): [sanction order number / DPR
reference / project name].

3. I respectfully request the following information:

   (a) Certified copy of the sanction order with cost build-up
       and scheme component;
   (b) Certified copy of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) as
       approved by the CSMC / Department of Expenditure;
   (c) Quarterly progress reports filed to the Ministry / DoE
       since sanction;
   (d) Disbursement schedule — milestone-linked tranches, dates
       of release, amounts disbursed;
   (e) Tender documents + technical-evaluation minutes;
   (f) Awarded contractor name + contract value + work order date;
   (g) Component-wise completion certificates issued to date;
   (h) Operation & Maintenance (O&M) plan post-completion;
   (i) Any CAG audit observations + management replies;
   (j) Concurrent monitoring / internal audit reports;
   (k) Names + designations of officials in the
       sanctioning + execution chain;
   (l) [For SASCI] loan terms + repayment schedule + Memorandum
       of Understanding between Centre and State.

4. Fee: Rs 10 application fee enclosed by way of Indian Postal
Order. [If BPL: §7(5) exemption claimed; BPL certificate copy
enclosed.]

5. Severability: In the event any part is exempt under Section 8 of
the RTI Act, the remainder is requested under Section 10(1) and
10(2) with a reasoned severance order.

6. Transfer: Where any part lies outside your office, please
transfer under Section 6(3) within 5 days with intimation.

7. Section 8 risks pre-empted:
   - Section 8(1)(d) "commercial confidence" does NOT apply to
     scheme procurement records — //Eastern Coalfields v. WBIC//
     (Calcutta HC 2015) + //RBI v. Jayantilal N. Mistry//,
     (2016) 5 SCC 136.
   - Section 8(1)(j) does NOT apply to records that are
     beneficiary-list records mandatorily disclosable under
     Section 4(1)(b)(xii).

8. Please supply within 30 days under Section 7(1). In the event
of silence, the non-response shall be treated as a deemed refusal
under Section 7(2) and a First Appeal under Section 19(1) shall
follow.

Yours faithfully,

([Your name])

[Address + phone + email]

→ Or use the 🪄 AI RTI Drafter — paste your problem in plain English; get a complete §6(1) letter in 60 seconds.

• Day 30: PIO must reply with records or refusal citing specific §8(1) clause + harm test.
• Day 31: If no reply → deemed refusal under §7(2). File First Appeal under §19(1) to the FAA. See First Appeal procedure & format.
• Day 31–60: FAA decides within 30 days (extendable to 45). FAA can order free-of-cost supply under §7(6).
• Day 91+: Second Appeal under §19(3) to Central Information Commission (central authorities) or State Information Commission (state authorities) within 90 days. Plead §20 penalty up to [financial detail removed] on the PIO if the refusal was malafide.

→ Timeline Calculator for tracking. First Appeal Builder for the §19(1) appeal.

This is the most common refusal pattern for tourism-scheme RTIs. The standard counter-citations:

1. Eastern Coalfields Ltd. v. WBIC, Calcutta HC 2015 — concession agreements + procurement records are not §8(1)(d) trade secrets without demonstrable competitive harm.
2. Reserve Bank of India v. Jayantilal N. Mistry, (2016) 5 SCC 136 — public-interest override on commercial-confidence claims; regulator-administered scheme records do not enjoy §8(1)(d) protection.
3. CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, (2011) 8 SCC 497 — fiduciary clause narrow reading; programme-administration records are not fiduciary.
4. Section 8(2) RTI Act — public-interest override. Public investment in a tourism destination + public visitor benefit + public infrastructure on the ground = public interest in disclosure outweighs §8(1)(d) competitive-harm even where established.

Use these in your First Appeal under §19(1).

Yes. DPRs of central-scheme projects are §6(1) RTI Act + §4(1)(b)(xii) records. Routine refusal under §8(1)(d) is an appealable defect.

Any Indian citizen. §6(2) RTI Act bars the PIO from asking for reasons (with limited contact-information exception).

Rs 10 for central authorities (Ministry of Tourism, Department of Expenditure). State RTI rules govern state authorities — usually Rs 10–50. BPL applicants pay zero under §7(5).

Yes. Records are typically retained 5–10+ years under government records-retention norms.

Yes. SPPs submitted by States to the Ministry are public records. §6(1) RTI to the State Tourism Department + Ministry of Tourism PIO surfaces both ends.

File an RTI surfacing the last quarterly progress report + CSMC / DoE observations + revised timeline. Most projects move once a written record of citizen-awareness exists.

Yes — engage them in parallel with the RTI. The RTI gives you documents; the elected representative gives you the political channel.

File an RTI surfacing the completion certificate + O&M plan + defect-liability period of the contractor. Grievance to State Tourism Department in parallel.

1. [ ] Identify the scheme (SD 1.0 / SD 2.0 / CBDD / PM-JUGA / PRASHAD / SASCI)
2. [ ] Identify the right PIO (Ministry / DoE / State Tourism)
3. [ ] Customise sample RTI with project name + district + sanction reference (if known)
4. [ ] Rs 10 IPO purchased OR BPL certificate copy
5. [ ] Speed Post (AD) tracking number saved
6. [ ] Calendar reminder set for Day 30 + Day 45 + Day 90
7. [ ] First Appeal letter pre-drafted as Day 31 fallback (First Appeal Builder)
8. [ ] Second Appeal forum identified (CIC for central, SIC for state)

• Homestay India 2026 — legal + business pillar guide
• UDAN regional connectivity scheme — affordable air travel for tier-2/3 cities
• Swadesh Darshan India 2026 — pillar guide
• Swadesh Darshan 1.0
• Swadesh Darshan 2.0 sustainable destinations
• CBDD
• PM-JUGA tribal homestays
• PRASHAD pilgrimage scheme
• SASCI iconic tourist centres
• Eco-tourism in the Western Ghats
• First Appeal under §19(1) — full procedure
• RTI grounds for rejection
• Third-party information — Section 11
• AI RTI Drafter
• First Appeal Builder
• Timeline Calculator

• The Right to Information Act, 2005 — §§4(1)(b)(xii), 4(1)(d), 6(1), 6(3), 7(1), 7(2), 7(5), 7(6), 8(1), 8(2), 10, 19(1), 19(3), 20
• Ministry of Tourism — Swadesh Darshan / SD 2.0 / CBDD / PRASHAD / PM-JUGA operational guidelines
• Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance — SASCI guidelines
• Bhagat Singh v. Chief Information Commissioner, Delhi HC W.P.(C) 3114/2007
• Eastern Coalfields Ltd. v. WBIC, Calcutta HC 2015
• RBI v. Jayantilal N. Mistry, (2016) 5 SCC 136
• CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, (2011) 8 SCC 497

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Last reviewed: 4 May 2026 — RTI Wiki editorial team.