UP Legislative Assembly RTI rules — 2026 citizen guide
The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) is a public authority under §2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. The Vidhan Sabha Secretariat handles RTI applications regarding legislative business — Bills, debates, MLA attendance, committee reports, House proceedings, member-of-house allowances. The application fee is ₹10. Reply deadline 30 days under §7(1).
UP has a bicameral legislature: the Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) is the upper house and the Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) is the lower house. With 403 elected members, the UP Assembly is the largest state legislature in India. RTI applies to both Houses, with separate PIO designations.
What you can ask under RTI
- MLA attendance — full attendance record of any sitting member during a session
- Committee reports — Public Accounts Committee, Estimates Committee, Subordinate Legislation, etc.
- MLA salary + allowances — under the UP Salaries, Allowances and Pension of Members of Legislature Act, 1980
- Bills + papers laid before the House — text + status
- Question Hour records — questions asked, answered, deferred
- Speaker's rulings — on procedural matters
- Privilege motions — filed and disposed
- CAG reports tabled — copies + Action Taken Reports
- MLA Constituency Development Fund (MLALADF / MLALAD) — works recommended in your district
What you cannot easily get
- Cabinet papers — exempt under §8(1)(i) until the underlying decision is taken; even then, with reasons recorded.
- Live floor debates — already in the public domain via the UP Vidhan Sabha YouTube channel + Hansard — RTI not needed.
- Privileged communications — internal committee deliberations marked “in camera”.
Where to file
- Public Information Officer: Office of the Joint Secretary (RTI), UP Vidhan Sabha Secretariat, Vidhan Bhavan, Lucknow 226001
- First Appellate Authority: Secretary, UP Vidhan Sabha
- Second Appeal: Uttar Pradesh State Information Commission, Indira Bhavan, Ashok Marg, Lucknow 226001
Fee schedule
| Stage | Fee | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Application (§6) | ₹10 | IPO / court-fee / online |
| Per A4 photocopy | ₹2 | paid on collection |
| CD (electronic record) | ₹50 per CD | paid on collection |
| Inspection of records | free for first hour, ₹5 per 15 min | pay at office |
| BPL applicant | Zero | attach BPL certificate |
| First / Second Appeal | Zero | - |
Sample RTI letter for UP Assembly
Use our AI RTI Drafter — auto-fills the Vidhan Sabha PIO format. For specific scenarios:
- MLA attendance + questions asked — see MP/MLA Tracker for the constituency-wise list.
- Privilege motion against an officer — see sample RTI index.
Common mistakes
- Filing to the wrong House — UP Vidhan Parishad (Council) and Vidhan Sabha (Assembly) have separate Secretariats. Address the right one.
- Asking for live debate — that's already public on YouTube + Hansard; RTI gets refused on §2(j) “information already in public domain”.
- No fee proof — non-acceptance memo. Always attach IPO / court-fee.
- Sending to MLA's home office — MLAs are not public authorities under RTI; the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat is.
Citations and sources
- Right to Information Act, 2005 — §2(h) public authority, §6(1), §7(1), §8(1)© (privilege of Legislature), §19. Full text.
- Uttar Pradesh Right to Information Rules, 2015 — fee schedule.
- UP Salaries, Allowances and Pension of Members of Legislature Act, 1980 — MLA financials.
- Anjali Bhardwaj v. UoI (2019) 9 SCC 199 — SIC accountability.
Related on RTI Wiki
Last reviewed: 4 May 2026.