Punjab RTI rules — filing, fees and appeals

A reference note on the working of the Right to Information Act, 2005 in Punjab. Fee and portal status verified against state sources on 26 August 2026; for a live matter, confirm against the Punjab Government Gazette or the Commission's website.

The Punjab State Information Commission (PSIC) is constituted under Section 15 of the RTI Act, 2005, seated at Chandigarh. It hears second appeals under Section 19(3) and complaints under Section 18 concerning State public authorities. Filing before the Commission costs nothing — Punjab prescribes no appeal fee.

• The Punjab Right to Information Rules, 2005 — the State rules on form, fee and procedure.
• The Punjab State Information Commission (Appeal Procedure) Rules — procedure before the Commission.
• Language: applications may be filed in Punjabi, Hindi or English (§6(1) read with Article 350).

Payment on paper: Indian Postal Order, demand draft, or cash against receipt at the counter.

• Online: rtionline.punjab.gov.in — working, but department routing is patchy: if the portal routes to the wrong office, the PIO still owes you a §6(3) transfer within 5 days, not a closure.
• On paper: to the PIO of the concerned department — Revenue, Home, Rural Development, Agriculture, Local Government — or the Deputy Commissioner's office for district matters.
• Central offices in Punjab (Income Tax, Railways, Posts): file at rtionline.gov.in.
• Step-by-step: How to File RTI Online in India.

• Reply due in 30 days (48 hours for life-and-liberty matters).
• First appeal — free, to the department's First Appellate Officer; 30 days is the safe window.
• Second appeal — to the PSIC within 90 days of the FAA order; a §18 complaint lies directly for refusal to accept the application or illegal fee demands.
• Drafting help: First Appeal Generator.

First appeal citing the registration number and §6(3): a wrong route is the PIO's transfer duty, never a ground to close.

None; Punjabi is expressly lawful. A refusal to accept a Punjabi application is appealable.

No — no first-appeal fee, no Commission fee.

Yes — take the receiving copy with date and stamp; that starts the 30-day clock.

• RTI Rules — Central, State, and Commission rules
• RTI fees in every state
• The RTI Act, 2005 — current text
• How to File RTI Online in India
• Why RTI Applications Get Rejected
• Guide for applicants
• The RTI Playbook book

1. The Right to Information Act, 2005 (No. 22 of 2005), Sections 6, 7, 15, 18, 19, 27; §7(5).
2. The Punjab Right to Information Rules, 2005; Punjab State Information Commission (Appeal Procedure) Rules.
3. Fee and portal status cross-checked against state sources on 26 August 2026 (see the state fee hub verification note).

Last reviewed: 27 August 2026. Fee firmed to Rs 10; appeal-free position and the portal routing caveat added from the 26-August-2026 hub verification.