West Bengal RTI Guide 2026 — RTI Wiki Citizen Guide 2026

The Right to Information Act, 2005 applies fully in West Bengal. State-specific rules under §27 govern fee, format, and First Appeal procedure. Capital: Kolkata. State Information Commission: https://wbic.wb.gov.in. RTI fee: ₹10. Online portal: Not yet — file by post. This guide gives you the operational rules + sample RTIs + key state authorities + escalation ladder for West Bengal citizens.

Reviewed on: 17 September 2026.

1. Online (where available): Use the state portal Not yet — file by post.
2. By post: Address to the Public Information Officer of the concerned department. Send by Registered Post.
3. Walk-in: At the department's office during working hours. Get a dated receipt.
4. Pay ₹10 via Indian Postal Order (IPO) in favour of “Accounts Officer, [Department]” — or by court-fee stamp (widely accepted in West Bengal).
5. BPL applicants: No fee. Attach BPL/Antyodaya/AAY card.

West Bengal IC, Kolkata · KMC + KMDA

For Central Government RTIs filed FROM West Bengal, use rtionline.gov.in which routes to the relevant central ministry.

To:
The Public Information Officer,
[Department name],
Government of West Bengal,
[Department address, Kolkata].

Subject: RTI under §6 of the RTI Act, 2005 — [your subject]

Sir/Madam,

Under the Right to Information Act, 2005, I, [Name], resident of
[address with PIN], request the following information:

1. [Specific item 1.]
2. [Specific item 2.]
3. Copy of the noting sheet of the file from receipt till the date
   of this reply.
4. Name, designation, and contact of the dealing officer at present.
5. Service standard / SLA applicable to this matter and the reason
   for delay, if any.

I am enclosing ₹10 via IPO in favour of "Accounts Officer,
[Department]". (BPL applicants: card copy enclosed; fee waived under §7(5).)

Yours faithfully,
[Name]
[Address, mobile, email]
Date: [Today]

To:
The First Appellate Authority,
[Senior officer designation, e.g., Joint Secretary],
[Department name], Government of West Bengal,
[Address, Kolkata].

Subject: First Appeal under §19(1) of the RTI Act, 2005

[See full template at https://righttoinformation.wiki/rti-first-appeal-second-appeal-guide]

To:
The Registrar,
West Bengal State Information Commission,
11 A, Mirza Ghalib Street, Khadya Bhavan, Kolkata-700087
(check the current address at https://wbic.wb.gov.in).

Subject: Second Appeal under §19(3) of the RTI Act, 2005

[See full template at https://righttoinformation.wiki/rti-first-appeal-second-appeal-guide]

• General Supreme Court rulings apply nationwide: see 10 Landmark SC RTI Rulings.
• Apply HC rulings of your jurisdiction — for West Bengal, that is the Calcutta High Court.
• Long delays at the State Information Commission are a known problem — use the escalation ladder above, ending with a writ under Article 226, to keep your case moving.

• Passport delay → Passport Delay RTI
• EPF / PF claim → EPFO Claim Status RTI
• Income Tax refund → IT Refund RTI
• PAN card delay → PAN Card RTI
• FIR copy → How to Get an FIR Copy
• NREGA/VB-GRAMG wage delay (dues under the repealed MGNREGA; job cards under VB-GRAMG) → MGNREGA RTI
• PMAY status → PMAY Status RTI
• Driving licence → Driving Licence RTI
• Ration card → Ration Card RTI
• IRCTC refund → IRCTC RTI

1. Day 0 — File RTI to PIO (online or registered post).
2. Day 30 — PIO reply due under §7(1).
3. Day 60 — First Appeal under §19(1) to FAA (within 30 days of PIO order).
4. Day 60-105 — FAA decision due (30-45 days under §19(6)).
5. Day 195 — Second Appeal under §19(3) to West Bengal SIC.
6. Last resort — Writ under Article 226 to the High Court of West Bengal.

• CPGRAMS (Central): pgportal.gov.in
• State portal: Not yet — file by post
• State SIC: https://wbic.wb.gov.in
• National RTI helpline: Use the state's general grievance number.

₹10 under the West Bengal RTI Rules. BPL exempt under §7(5). Pay via Indian Postal Order (IPO) for postal filings or by court-fee stamp for counter filings.

No — West Bengal does not yet have a unified RTI online portal. File by Registered Post to the concerned department's PIO. Some specific departments may have their own grievance portals.

The West Bengal SIC composition is updated on its website https://wbic.wb.gov.in. Composition changes periodically — check the website for current Commissioners.

If the Second Appeal hearing is delayed beyond reasonable time, file a writ petition under Article 226 to the High Court of West Bengal. The HC has supervisory jurisdiction over the SIC.

(a) Indian Postal Order (IPO) in favour of the Accounts Officer of the concerned department; (b) court-fee stamp (widely accepted in West Bengal); © Demand Draft in some districts; (d) Cash at counter during walk-in filing (get receipt). There is no state online RTI filing portal yet — the WBIC website explains payment of RTI fees through the state GRIPS gateway.

• The RTI Playbook
• All-states RTI comparison
• First Appeal & Second Appeal Complete Guide
• §8 Exemptions explained
• Fee Calculator
• Deadline Calculator
• AI RTI Drafter

• Right to Information Act, 2005 — cic.gov.in
• West Bengal RTI Rules (state notification)
• West Bengal State Information Commission — https://wbic.wb.gov.in
• Central Information Commission — cic.gov.in

Filing RTI in West Bengal — complete guide on rules, fees, and the process for 2026:

1. Step 1: WB RTI Rules and fee structure. (a) the West Bengal Right to Information Rules, 2006 (framed under the RTI Act, 2005) govern the RTI process in West Bengal, (b) the fee structure: (i) application fee: ₹10 (payable by court-fee stamp, IPO, or cash — to the APIO/PIO), (ii) BPL category: free (BPL citizens — with BPL proof — can file RTI without any fee), (iii) additional fee: ₹2 per page for photocopy, ₹50 for CD, ₹5 per hour for inspection (after the first free hour), © the application can be filed: (i) in person (at the office of the PIO/APIO — with the application — and the fee), (ii) by post (send the application — by registered post — with the fee — to the PIO/APIO), (iii) online (through the central RTI portal — rtionline.gov.in — for central government departments — and some state departments — but West Bengal does not have a dedicated state RTI online portal — as of 2026).
2. Step 2: Key PIOs in West Bengal. (a) the Chief Secretary (is the senior-most officer — but the PIOs are at the department level), (b) the key departments — and what they cover: (i) Home Department — police, law and order, prisons, and internal security, (ii) Health Department — hospitals, PHCs, medical colleges, and health schemes, (iii) Education Department — schools, colleges, universities, and scholarships, (iv) Finance Department — budget, taxes, pensions, and audits, (v) Panchayat and Rural Development — panchayat works, rural schemes, and rural job-card works (VB-GRAMG since 1 July 2026), (vi) Urban Development — municipalities, urban schemes, and civic amenities. Each department designates its own CPIO — usually an officer below Secretary level — so check the department's RTI disclosure (or the state RTI manual) for the exact designated officer before you file, © at the district level: the District Magistrate (DM) is the PIO — for district-level matters — and the BDO (Block Development Officer) is the PIO — for block-level matters — and the SDO (Sub-Divisional Officer) is the PIO — for sub-divisional matters.
3. Step 3: How to file RTI in West Bengal. (a) Step 1 — identify the PIO (determine which department — or district — holds the information — and find the PIO — from the department's website — or the state RTI manual), (b) Step 2 — write the application (in English or Bengali — with the applicant's name, address, and the information sought — and the fee), © Step 3 — submit the application (in person — at the PIO's office — or by post — by registered post — with the fee — court-fee stamp of ₹10), (d) Step 4 — track the application (the PIO must respond within 30 days — or 48 hours — for life and liberty — and the applicant can file a first appeal — if the PIO does not respond — or refuses — or provides incomplete information), (e) Step 5 — first appeal (file with the First Appellate Authority — within 30 days — of the PIO's response — or non-response — the FAA must respond within 30 days), (f) Step 6 — second appeal (file with the West Bengal Information Commission — within 90 days — of the FAA's response — or non-response).
4. Step 4: West Bengal Information Commission. (a) the WBIC is the second appellate authority — for RTI matters in West Bengal, (b) the WBIC is located at: 11 A, Mirza Ghalib Street, Khadya Bhavan, Kolkata-700087 — and the Chief Information Commissioner — and the Information Commissioners — hear the second appeals, © the WBIC website (wbic.wb.gov.in — provides the second appeal format — and the procedure — and the orders), (d) the WBIC has been criticized for delays (the pending cases — at the WBIC — are high — and the disposal rate is low — and the citizens wait for years — for the second appeal to be heard), (e) the WBIC has the power to impose penalties (on the PIO — for refusal — or delay — or incomplete information — under Section 20 of the RTI Act — up to ₹25,000).
5. Step 5: Common RTI issues in West Bengal. (a) no online portal (West Bengal does not have a dedicated state RTI online portal — as of 2026 — which makes it difficult for citizens to file RTI online — and they have to file in person — or by post), (b) delays at the WBIC (the WBIC has a large backlog — and the second appeals take years — to be heard), © PIO transfers (the PIOs are frequently transferred — and the new PIO does not have the context — and the applications are delayed — or lost), (d) fee payment issues (the court-fee stamp is the primary mode of payment — and some PIOs do not accept IPOs — or cash — creating confusion), (e) language barrier (the application can be in English or Bengali — but some PIOs insist on Bengali — and some insist on English — creating confusion).
6. Step 6: File RTI on key West Bengal issues. (a) rural jobs and wages: MGNREGA was repealed with effect from 1 July 2026 and replaced by the VB-GRAMG scheme (125 days of work a year, job cards valid for three years) — for old MGNREGA dues, file RTI with the BDO or the DM — asking for the wages paid — and the dues still pending under the repealed scheme; for current matters, ask for: (i) the job cards issued under VB-GRAMG, (ii) the works sanctioned, (iii) the wages paid, (iv) the pending dues, (v) the social audit report, (b) health: file RTI with the Health Department's CPIO or the hospital — asking for: (i) the bed availability, (ii) the medicine stock, (iii) the doctor attendance, (iv) the patient registers, (v) the complaint register, © education: file RTI with the Education Department's CPIO or the school — asking for: (i) the midday meal records, (ii) the student enrollment, (iii) the teacher attendance, (iv) the scholarship disbursement, (v) the infrastructure status, (d) civic amenities: file RTI with the municipality — asking for: (i) the water supply, (ii) the garbage collection, (iii) the street lights, (iv) the drainage, (v) the building plans — and the OC.
7. Step 7: Practical tips. (a) file in Bengali or English (both are acceptable — but Bengali may be more effective — for local offices — like the BDO and the municipality), (b) use court-fee stamp (₹10 — which is the most widely accepted — in West Bengal), © file by registered post (to have proof of filing — and to track the delivery), (d) file the first appeal (if the PIO does not respond — within 30 days — or refuses — or provides incomplete information — file the first appeal — without delay), (e) file the second appeal (if the FAA does not respond — within 30 days — file the second appeal — with the WBIC — and follow up — regularly), (f) Example (illustrative — not a specific reported case): a citizen in Kolkata files an RTI with the municipality — asking for the road repair works in his ward — the PIO does not respond — within 30 days — the citizen files a first appeal — the FAA directs the PIO to respond — the PIO provides the details — which show ₹20 lakh recorded as spent on road repair — but the road is not repaired — the citizen can then escalate — for example, to the authorities investigating corruption.