• Sector 27, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382028
  • Call Now: 079-23210108

How to make a complaint under RTI Act?

Section 18 of the act empowers Central Information Commission [CIC] and also State Information Commissions [SICs] to enquire into complaints against Public Authority, Public Information Officer [PIO] and First Appellate Authority [FAA]. The section has provided for enquiring and taking corrective steps by the respective commissions in respect of majority of problems that the applicant/appellant may face in getting information to which he is entitled to under this act.

Situations under which complaint can be lodged

  1. No PIO or APIO or FAA is appointed by public authority.
  2. PIO/APIO/FAA has refused to receive application/appeal.
  3. No reply is received from PIO & FAA within time limit fixed by the act.
  4. Reply received from PIO is unsatisfactory, irrelevant, unreadable, misleading, unclear, false, incomplete etc.
  5. Information has been wrongly and unjustifiably refused.
  6. When applicant is required to pay fee/charges in excess of those prescribed in RTI rules applicable.
  7. PIO/APIO is not accessible in person or by post and his whereabouts are not easily available/prominently exhibited.
  8. Proactive disclosure under section 4 [1] has not been made or it is not made publicly available/accessible.
  9. PIO/FAA has wrongly refused inspection of records of public authority or reasonable cooperation is not extended during inspection.
  10. PIO, FAA or any other person directly/indirectly intimidates or ill-treats or pressurizes the applicant/appellant or restraints him from exercising his right under the act.
  11. PIO/FAA disobeys orders of CIC/SIC.
  12. Any other situation where the citizen has been wrongly restrained/refused access to information to which he is entitled under the act.
  13. Any other violation of provisions of the act by public authority, PIO or FAA.