West Bengal applies the West Bengal Right to Information Rules, 2006 (made under §27 of the RTI Act, 2005) for all state public authorities. The fee is ₹10 per application (BPL: zero). Reply deadline: 30 days under §7(1) of the central RTI Act. Online filing is via the wbric.gov.in portal (limited departments); Speed Post (AD) is the universal fallback.
| Stage | Fee | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Application (§6) | ₹10 | IPO / court-fee / DD / online |
| Per A4 photocopy | ₹2 | paid on collection |
| Larger size copy | actual cost | paid on collection |
| CD (electronic record) | ₹50 per CD | paid on collection |
| Inspection of records | free for first hour, ₹5 per 15 min after | pay at office |
| BPL applicant | Zero | attach BPL certificate |
| First Appeal | Zero | - |
| Second Appeal to WB SIC | Zero | - |
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As per Anjali Bhardwaj v. UoI (2019) monitoring, the WB Information Commission has had a backlog of 15,000+ second appeals as of mid-2024 with a vacancy rate of 3 of 10 IC seats. Appointments restored in March 2025. Average second-appeal disposal time: 12-18 months. If your second appeal has been pending 18+ months, you can approach the Calcutta High Court under Article 226.
Last reviewed: 4 May 2026.