Except for the state of Jammu & Kashmir, the Right to Information Act of 2005 applies to all Indian states. However, each state implements the Act differently, and each state has distinct procedures for filing RTI applications. The State of West Bengal The Governor issued RTI Rules in compliance with the terms of Sec. 27 of The Right to Information Act, 2005, subsections (1) and (2). It will go into effect on March 10, 2006.

The Prominence of the Right to Information

• A fee of Rs 10 is necessary to obtain information about the Administration's activities and judgements. If an application is delivered through a registered post or courier, an extra fee of Rs.10 to Rs.25 is required. The charge for getting information of around five pages would be Rs. ten. Even if you add the cost of mailing to the report, the total cost will be about 70 rupees.
• The information must be delivered within 30 days, according to the legislation.
• If a few thousand citizens spend roughly Rs. 70 every month and about 60 minutes in their own homes, they may file a fresh RTI application and obtain information on important issues.
• We now have the authority to demand accountability, reduce exploitation, influence policy choices, and ensure better governance. Individually, we may play a significant role in achieving the desired Realm.

Imperative Factors

• If the Public Information Officers, First Appellate Authorities, and Commissions grant repeated RTI petitions, there would be no ending of the 'information lawsuit,' and the public powers at the receiving end will have no obligation.
• Public dogma holds that 'it is important for the public that there be a conclusion to litigation' and that 'no man should be overtaxed, overtaxed for the same reason.'
• The rule and provisions of The Right to Information Act 2005 provide that every single citizen has a right to get information from a relevant public power, but only once and not in perpetuity.
• Constant filing of RTI applications by long-term information seekers clogs public offices by preventing the open flow of information to eligible and honest RTI applicants, in addition to preventing officers of the concerned public authority from carrying out their responsibilities.

List of Departments under the State Government of West Bengal

All West Bengal State Government Departments & local governing bodies such as Municipal Corporations (Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Howrah Municipal Corporation, Siliguri Municipal Corporation, and so on), the West Bengal School Service Commission, the West Bengal Medical Council, the West Bengal Board of Primary Education, the West Bengal Public Service Commission, the West Bengal Police Recruitment Board, the West Bengal Land Reforms and Tenancy Tribunal, and the West Bengal Pharmacy Council. 

• Agriculture
• Agriculture Marketing
• Animal Resources Development
• Backward Classes Welfare Dept
• Consumer Affairs
• Co-operation
• Correctional Administration
• Disaster Management & Civil Defence
• Environment Dept
• Finance Dept
• Fire & Emergency Services
• Fisheries
• Food & Supplies
• Food Processing Industries & Horticulture
• Forest Dept
• Health & Family Welfare Dept
• Higher Education Dept
• Home & Hill Affairs Dept
• Housing Dept
• Information & Cultural Affairs
• Information Technology & Electronics and E-Governance
• Irrigation & Waterways
• Judicial Dept
• Land & Land Reforms and Refugee Relief & Rehabilitation
• Industry Commerce & Enterprises
• Law Dept
• Mass Education Extension & Library Services
• Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and Textiles
• Minorities Affairs & Madrasah Education
• North Bengal Development
• Panchayat & Rural Development
• Parliament Affairs
• Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs
• Personnel & Administrative Reforms Dept
• Planning, Statistics and Programme Monitoring
• Power & Non-Conventional Energy Sources
• Public Health Engineering
• Public Works Dept
• School Education
• Science & Technology and Biotechnology
• Self Help Group & Self Employment Dept
• Tourism
• Transport

Much more…

The Procedure of Filing RTI Plea Offline

Determines the Department to which you want to submit the RTI application:

To make an RTI application, the initial step is identifying the Department / Public Authority. Section 2 (h) of the RTI Act defines public authorities under the Act's purview. For example, in cities, all municipal concerns, such as water, garbage, street lighting, and building permits, are handled by the relevant Corporation. Therefore, if the issues concern the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, a public authority, you should address them to the Corporation.

Fill out Your Questions in the Application:

You should address your queries in simple language in the application, which may be written in English or Bengali. It is vital to know that RTI does not accept "Wh" queries.

Addressing RTI Application

According to The RTI Act of 2005, each department must appoint a Public Information Officer (PIO) responsible for receiving and responding to RTI applications submitted by that department. As a result, all RTI requests should be sent to the Department's Public Information Officer.

Response

According to The RTI Act, the PIO in West Bengal or any other state must respond to RTI applications within 30 days of receipt. This encompasses both online and offline apps. If the information requested in the RTI refers to another department, the PIO must convey the information to that department within five days of receiving the RTI. If the government agency does not respond within 30 days or if the applicant is dissatisfied with the response to the RTI application, a First Appeal can be made with the First Appellate Authority (FAA).

If you are dissatisfied with the decision of the First Appeal, or if the FAA has issued no order, you may submit a Second Appeal with the West Bengal Information Commission.

Pay the fee as per West Bengal RTI Rules:

Section 6 (1) of the Act requires you to pay a court fee of Rs. 10/- to access information from the SPIO/SAPIO. Along with the application, provide the amount in the form of a Court Fee Stamp. You can also pay a non-Judicial Stamp Paper of Rs.10 or Demand Draft/Cheque/ Banker's Indian Postal Order payable in favour of " (name of the linked bank) a/c Government of West Bengal, RTI Rules.

Submit the Application:

Once you have completed the steps outlined above, you should send your application to the relevant Department through fast post or registered mail.

Online RTI Filing Procedure

Lawyers recruited by Online RTI are experts at issuing RTIs; therefore, there is no need to be concerned. Select your issue, submit your application, and your case will be prioritised at the top of the government's list.
 

What role does RTI play in Public Private Partnerships?