RTI portal still seeking ID proof and ₹30 fee despite govt stay: Activists

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The state’s official online filing system for filing RTI application is yet to reflect the changes despite the Maharashtra govt staying the Right to Information (RTI) Rules 2026 following intense backlash from activists.As of now, the portal continues to demand an increased application fee of Rs30 (up from the original Rs10) and requires applicants to upload proof of identity— a provision that was supposedly put on hold.Civic activist Vivek Velankar pointed out that a significant number of citizens use the online system to file applications under the RTI Act 2005. “When the new rules were notified on June 12, the authorities modified the system almost instantly.

Now, even four days after those rules were rolled back, the system remains unchanged. This arbitrary functioning is highly objectionable,” he said.Adding to the criticism, activist Vijay Kumbhar called the delay a “mockery” of the RTI Act. He argued that the current confusion stems from a lack of formal procedure. “By law, a govt notification can only be withdrawn or kept in abeyance by issuing another official notification.

Letters, circulars, or oral announcements carry no legal weight. The govt must either issue an official notification suspending the new rules or admit that they remain in effect,” Kumbhar stated.The state govt announced the stay on July 2, just days before veteran social activist Anna Hazare was set to launch an indefinite hunger strike in protest. Following instructions from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Atul Patane, the principal secretary of the general administration department (GAD), issued a letter to the state information commission directing that the old rules be reinstated.

However, Patane could not be reached for comment regarding the delay in updating the web portal.The 2026 rules required every applicant to furnish a self-attested photo ID. Activists argue that the RTI Act 2005 itself does not mandate identity proof and that such hurdles are designed to discourage whistleblowers.Notably, former central information commissioner (CIC) Shailesh Gandhi, along with a group of civic leaders, recently served a legal notice to the Maharashtra govt demanding a total rollback. Gandhi alleged that several of the new provisions were framed not to facilitate the Act, but to restrict and burden the exercise of a fundamental right.