West Bengal RTI Rules — Free PDF Download with Filing Guide

West Bengal RTI Rules, the official rules framed by the West Bengal Government under §27 of the RTI Act, 2005. These rules cover the application fee, the format for filing, additional copying charges, and the time limits the Public Information Officer follows when responding to RTI requests in West Bengal. The rules run a few pages: the fee schedule, the application format departments must accept, the additional charges for copies and media, and the mechanical steps of a first appeal.

• Application fee under §6(1) and additional copying fee under §7(3).
• Format of application the PIO will accept.
• Time limits for reply: 30 days normal, 48 hours for life or liberty under §7(1).
• Procedure for first appeal to the First Appellate Authority.
• Format for inspection of records.
• Fee exemption for BPL applicants under §7(5).

The West Bengal Rules apply when you file an RTI with any public authority of the West Bengal Government. Examples include:

• State Departments and Directorates.
• District Collectors and Block Development Officers.
• State Public Sector Undertakings.
• Panchayats, Municipalities, and Urban Local Bodies.

For Union Government bodies, follow the Central RTI Rules. For the High Court, follow the Court's own RTI Rules.

• The application format departments must accept — plain-paper requests cannot be rejected for want of a printed form where the rules prescribe the essentials.
• Additional-fee mechanics under §7(3): the PIO intimates the further charges (per page, disk, publication) before supply; the clock pauses until you pay.
• Inspection procedure: the notice period, the premises rules, and the hourly fee after the first hour.

Rs 10 for the application, paid as the State rules prescribe; further charges only as intimated under §7(3) for copies or media. BPL applicants file free.

The West Bengal State Information Commission — by the Commission's procedure (the Commission also runs the rti.wbic.in filing side), within 90 days of the first-appeal order.

Yes — to Central public authorities (Railways, Income Tax, Posts, EPFO): the Central RTI Rules and rtionline.gov.in, not these State rules.

It is the official text as notified; amendments, if any, appear in the West Bengal e-Gazette — check the Gazette for anything fee-related you intend to rely on.

• West Bengal RTI — full state guide
• First Appellate Authority — generic guide
• §27 RTI Act — power to make rules
• The RTI Playbook. The complete guide to filing RTI in 2026.
• RTI fees in every state — verified hub

• The Right to Information Act, 2005 — §6, §7, §19, §27.
• The West Bengal Right to Information Rules.

Last reviewed on: 27 August 2026. Fee stated from the verified hub (Rs 10; rti.wbic.in); the duplicated filler sentence replaced with the rules' actual notable provisions; FAQ added.