🚦 Where to file your Chennai RTI
| Civic issues (water, sanitation, garbage, roads, property tax, building approval) | GCC (Greater Chennai Corporation) https://chennaicorporation.gov.in Filing fee: ₹10 IPO/DD payable to "Accounts Officer, GCC" |
| Tamil Nadu state departments (police, education, health, revenue) | Tamil Nadu SIC + state portal → State page |
| Driving licence, vehicle registration, RC, fitness | RTO TN-01 (and 2 other RTO codes) Postal: "PIO, RTO, Chennai" Or central: parivahan.gov.in |
| Central ministries (passport, IT, GST, EPF) | rtionline.gov.in (Central RTI portal) |
📝 5 most common Chennai RTI templates
1. Property tax records / arrears
To: PIO, Property Tax Department, GCC Subject: RTI under §6(1) — property tax records for [property ID / address] Sir/Madam, Under §6(1), please provide: (a) Year-wise property tax demand and payment for [property ID/address] from FY 2020-21 to FY 2025-26. (b) Any arrears or penalty noted in your records. (c) Copies of demand notices issued (if any). Fee of ₹10 enclosed by IPO. I am a citizen of India. [Your name + address + signature]
2. Water supply / sewage complaint status
To: PIO, Water Supply Department, GCC Subject: RTI — status of complaint [complaint no/date] Under §6(1): (a) Date of receipt of complaint, action taken, officials assigned. (b) Date of resolution OR current status. (c) For unresolved complaints over 30 days, the SOP timeline that was missed. [Standard footer]
3. Building plan approval / occupancy certificate
To: PIO, Building Permissions Cell, GCC Subject: RTI — file status for building approval at [address] Under §6(1): (a) Date of submission of plan; current status. (b) Reasons for any rejection or revert. (c) Names of officials who handled the file. (d) Average processing time for similar applications in last 6 months. [Standard footer]
4. Driving licence / RC delay (RTO TN-01)
To: PIO, RTO TN-01, Chennai Subject: RTI — application status for [DL/RC reference] Under §6(1): (a) Date my application was received. (b) Current status; reason for delay if beyond statutory timeline. (c) Name of dealing assistant / inspector. (d) Backlog of similar applications at this RTO. [Standard footer]
5. Garbage / SWM ward-level data
To: PIO, Solid Waste Management, GCC Subject: RTI — garbage collection status, Ward [N] Under §6(1): (a) Frequency of door-to-door collection, last 30 days, Ward [N]. (b) Number of garbage trucks deployed. (c) Citizen complaints received and resolved, Ward [N], last 30 days. (d) Penalties imposed on contractors for missed collections. [Standard footer]
⏰ Deadlines (universal under RTI Act 2005)
30 days from filing for the PIO to reply (§7(1)). 48 hours if information concerns life or liberty (§7(1) proviso). If no reply or refusal: file First Appeal under §19(1) within 30 days of the PIO reply (or expiry of 30-day window). Second Appeal to Tamil Nadu SIC within 90 days of FAA order.