Use the Right to Information process to ask a public authority for records or information — not as a substitute for urgent grievance redressal.
Ask for existing records: inspection reports, work orders, expenditure, timelines, rules, meeting minutes, or the action taken on a grievance. Frame questions so the authority can identify records rather than asking it to create an explanation.
Use JanSahay for a service failure that needs action, such as an uncollected waste pile or broken streetlight. Use RTI when you need information about why it has not been resolved, what funds were sanctioned, or which rule applies.
JanSahay’s routing and public contact directory can help you find the ministry, department or municipal body that holds the records.
Example: “Provide certified copies of the work order and completion certificate for streetlight maintenance on [road] between [dates].”
Include the JanSahay reference ID if it clarifies the records sought; avoid putting other people’s personal data in your request.
For central public authorities, submit through the official RTI Online portal. State and local bodies may use a different statutory portal or office process.
This is a plain-language guide, not legal advice. The appropriate authority, exemptions, fees, and appeal route depend on the public body and applicable law.