How to file Second Appeal

A guide on how to file a Second Appeal under RTI Act 2005

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A Second Appeal is the remedy specified in the Section 19(3) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 that can be used in case:

1. The FAA or First Appellate Authority fails to furnish a reply to the First Appeal within a period of 30 days.
2. The citizen is not satisfied with the response/decision of the FAA.
3. The FAA acts in a manner that goes against the spirit of the RTI Act.

Time Limits to file Second Appeal

90 days from the date you received or should have received the reply of the First Appeal from the FAA.

Address of Second Appellate Authority

The Second Appeal is always filed with either the SIC (State Information Commission) or CIC (Central Information Commission).

1. If your RTI was filed with a state Public Authority like Municipal Corporation, Transport Office etc you can file the Second Appeal with either the SIC of the respective state or the CIC. However only one must be chosen and you cannot file the Appeal with both of them.
2. If your RTI was filed with a central Public Authority like SBI, Post Office, Home Ministry etc you should file the Appeal with CIC.

The addresses of the SICs can be found at their respective websites as listed here. The address of the CIC is CIC Bhawan, Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka, New Delhi — 110067 as given here.

Format of Second Appeal

If a SIC recommends a certain specific format to be used, you can find the same on their website. Nonetheless the format specified by the CIC can also be used for the SIC.

Click here for Second Appeal Format
Go to File > Download As to choose your preferred file format.

For state specific formats visit the appropriate state’s RTI website as given here.

Fee for Second Appeal

There is no fee for filing a Second Appeal.

Process for Second Appeal

1. Fill the appeal application as per the format provided above. As specified in the format you can also request a personal hearing before the Information Commission if needed. Make sure to sign the appeal as requested at the bottom of the application.
2. Attach self-attested copies of the original RTI application, PIO reply if any, First Appeal, FAA reply if any, postal receipts, delivery proof, your ID proof supporting documents to the Appeal application. Self attested means to sign the pages & write ‘attested’ on them by hand.
3. Address the Appeal to the SIC/CIC and make a copy of the Appeal application and keep it safe for future reference.
4. Post the Appeal application either by SpeedPost or by Registered Post AD only. Keep the postal receipt safe for future reference.
5. There is no time limit specified in the RTI Act 2005 for the Information Commission to arrive at a decision for a Second Appeal. Expect up to 90 days for a reply.

If you have any further queries related to RTI/Appeals, feel free to reach us at https://rtilikho.com/contact and we shall try our best to assist you. You can also join our community chat at https://chat.rtilikho.org where other users and activists can help you.

If you do not wish to file the Second Appeal manually, we request you to use our service at https://rtilikho.com for the application drafting and filing. We charge a very nominal fee for doing so. Since we are a non-profit you can rest assured that any revenue we generate is only used for a good cause which is to help more people file RTI applications.