RTI in Andaman & Nicobar Islands: Your Complete Guide to Accessing Government Information

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands sit nearly 1,400 kilometres from the Indian mainland, separated from Kolkata by the Bay of Bengal. For the roughly 400,000 people who live there, the distance is not only geographical. Getting information from government bodies — about land records, fishing licences, building permissions, hospital treatment decisions, or area permits for remote islands — has historically been a slow and opaque process.

The Right to Information Act, 2005 applies in full to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. But the Act's architecture works differently here than in, say, Maharashtra or Uttar Pradesh, and understanding that difference is essential before you file a single application.

The Single Most Important Fact: No State IC, All Roads Lead to CIC

India's RTI framework has two tracks for second appeals. For Central Government bodies, second appeals go to the Central Information Commission (CIC). For state government bodies, second appeals go to the respective State Information Commission (SIC) — established under Section 15 of the RTI Act.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a Union Territory without a legislature. There is no elected state assembly. The territory is administered directly by the Central Government through a Lieutenant Governor (LG) who functions as the Administrator. Because there is no separate state government, there is no State Information Commission for Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Every single public authority operating in A&N — the UT Administration, ANIIDCO, Port Blair Municipal Council, the Electricity Department, the Fisheries Department, government hospitals, Kendriya Vidyalayas — is treated as a Central Government body for RTI purposes. All first appeals go to the First Appellate Authority within the respective public authority. All second appeals go to the Central Information Commission (CIC) in New Delhi.

This is the jurisdictional bedrock for every RTI interaction in these islands.

The Andaman and Nicobar Administration: The Principal Public Authority

The Andaman and Nicobar Administration is the umbrella government body that administers the UT. It operates under the direct supervision of the Lieutenant Governor and encompasses all departments: Revenue, Fisheries, Forest, Education, Health, PWD, Town and Country Planning, and more. Each department designates its own Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) and First Appellate Authority (FAA).

For residents of A&N, this means that most queries about government services — whether it is a delayed building plan sanction, a question about land mutation, an unexplained decision by the PWD contractor regarding a road project, or a question about school admissions — will be directed at the relevant department within the UT Administration.

Applications are filed under Section 6 of the RTI Act. The fee is ₹10 under the RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. BPL cardholders are exempt from paying this fee under Section 7(5). The CPIO has 30 days to respond under Section 7(1). If the information pertains to life or liberty, the response deadline is 48 hours under the proviso to Section 7(1).

Land Records, Settlement Land, and the Revenue Department

Land in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands carries a complex history. Much of the archipelago's settlement history involves convict settlements, migrant communities, forest land, and tribal protected reserves — all of which have left a layered land administration structure.

Settlement land — land that has been formally settled and assigned to individuals or families — is recorded and administered by the Revenue Department of the A&N Administration. Typical RTI uses include:

• Obtaining a copy of the patta (land ownership document) or land record for a survey number
• Asking for the status of a pending land mutation application
• Understanding why a land registration was delayed or refused
• Seeking records of the government notification under which a piece of land was classified or reclassified

The Revenue Department CPIO handles these requests. If the CPIO's response is inadequate, the First Appeal goes to the FAA within the Revenue Department, and the second appeal to the CIC.

Forest land occupies an enormous proportion of A&N's landmass. The A&N Administration's Forest Department administers most of this, and there are also areas — particularly national parks and wildlife sanctuaries — that fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change at the Central level. Questions about forest land classification, whether a particular parcel has been notified as forest land, the status of requests for forest clearance, or the terms of a particular forest lease should be directed to the Forest Department of the A&N Administration.

An important protection applies here: the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956 creates a special legal framework around the lands and territories of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of A&N — most notably the Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa, Shompen, and Sentinelese. Information that would disclose the location, movements, or circumstances of these tribal communities in ways that could endanger them is not disclosable under the RTI Act. PIOs will and should decline such requests. This is not a misuse of the RTI exemptions — it is a legitimate protection of highly vulnerable communities.

Restricted Area Permit and Protected Area Permit

This is a distinctive feature of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that has significant RTI relevance.

Foreign nationals visiting most of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands require a Restricted Area Permit (RAP). Certain inner islands require a Protected Area Permit (PAP). Even some islands and tribal areas require special permissions for Indian citizens.

Permit-related queries — why a permit application was delayed, on what basis a permit was refused, what the conditions attached to a permit are — are directed to the Home Department of the A&N Administration, which handles the permit system for the UT.

If a permit was refused without adequate reasons, an RTI application asking for:

• "The reasons for which the application for a Restricted Area Permit / Protected Area Permit submitted on date by applicant name was rejected or not processed."
• "The specific rule or regulation under which the refusal was made."
• "The authority competent to grant the permit in question."

...is a legitimate and appropriate use of the RTI Act. The Home Department CPIO is the relevant PIO. Second appeal: CIC.

ANIIDCO: Tourism, Fisheries, and Trading

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) is a UT body under the A&N Administration that operates in the areas of tourism infrastructure, fisheries, trading, and industrial development. It manages hotels, tourist resorts, fishery processing facilities, and commercial trading operations across the islands.

ANIIDCO is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act. It is a body established by the government, substantially funded and controlled by the UT Administration. Second appeals against ANIIDCO decisions go to the CIC.

Useful RTI applications involving ANIIDCO include:

• Questions about the terms and conditions of a tender or contract for tourism infrastructure
• Information about the criteria used for allotment of ANIIDCO-run commercial spaces
• Questions about the processing status of a fisheries-related licence or permit handled by ANIIDCO
• Details of the financial support or subsidy scheme operated by ANIIDCO for fishing boat operators

Fisheries Department: Licences, Permits, and Deep-Sea Fishing

The Department of Fisheries under the A&N Administration administers fishing activity across the islands. This includes registration of fishing vessels, issuance of fishing licences, permits for deep-sea fishing operations, and regulation of fishing activity in the territorial waters around A&N.

RTI applications to the Fisheries Department are useful when:

• A fishing vessel registration has been delayed without explanation
• A deep-sea fishing licence was refused or not renewed, and the applicant has not been given reasons
• Questions arise about the quota system for fishing permits or the criteria by which they are allocated
• Information is needed about the government's enforcement of marine resource protection rules

The Fisheries Department CPIO handles these applications. Second appeal: CIC.

Electricity Department (APSEB / A&N Electricity Supply)

The electricity supply in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is managed by the Electricity Department of the UT Administration (sometimes referred to by the shorthand APSEB — Andaman and Nicobar Islands Electricity Supply Corporation, or simply the Electricity Department). This is a UT body.

RTI applications to the electricity authority are useful for:

• Questions about electricity connections pending for extended periods
• Disputes about metering or billing
• Seeking copies of the technical report behind a connection refusal
• Seeking information about electricity tariff orders and the basis for rate revision
• Asking about the government's rural electrification work — when a particular village or island sector was scheduled for connection, whether funds were released, and what work was completed

Second appeal: CIC.

Port Blair Municipal Council

The Port Blair Municipal Council is the urban local body responsible for municipal services in Port Blair — roads, drainage, solid waste management, building plan approvals, property tax, and related civic functions. As a body constituted and funded by the UT Administration, Port Blair Municipal Council is a public authority under Section 2(h). Second appeals: CIC.

Municipal RTI applications in Port Blair typically cover:

• Building plan approval status and any objections raised
• Property tax assessments and revision history
• Details of tenders or contracts for civic works (roads, drains, parks)
• Inspection reports for commercial establishments
• Property or building approval records that are needed for legal or financial purposes

G.B. Pant Hospital: Healthcare RTI

G.B. Pant Hospital in Port Blair is the principal government hospital in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and one of the largest healthcare facilities in the region. As a UT government hospital under the A&N Administration's Health Department, it is a public authority.

Healthcare-related RTI applications to G.B. Pant Hospital or the Health Department are useful in situations involving:

• Medical negligence or adverse outcomes where the patient's family wants to understand what happened — requesting patient treatment records, discharge summaries, or investigation reports
• Questions about drug procurement and availability — whether particular medicines were procured, at what price, and whether they were available when needed
• Recruitment records for medical and paramedical staff (important when recruitment outcomes are disputed)
• Hospital infrastructure works — tender details for hospital construction or equipment procurement

Patient records of the requesting individual are accessible under RTI (and under the general principle that an individual can access their own information). Records of a third party can only be disclosed if the third party has consented or if there is an overriding public interest.

Second appeal: CIC.

Schools: Kendriya Vidyalaya and UT Schools

A&N has a significant presence of Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVS schools). KVS is a Central Government autonomous body under the Ministry of Education. RTI applications to KVS schools or KVS Sangathan headquarters (depending on the nature of the query) are filed as Central Government RTI applications, with second appeals to the CIC.

Government schools run directly by the A&N Administration (UT schools) are also public authorities. Their CPIO is typically a designated officer within the Education Department of the UT Administration.

RTI is useful for KVS and UT school matters involving admission process transparency, staff appointment records, school infrastructure works, scholarship scheme administration, and results-related queries.

Central Bodies Present in A&N: Navy, Coast Guard, and Others

Several Central Government bodies maintain a significant presence in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands beyond the UT Administration. Their RTI status varies:

Indian Navy / Andaman and Nicobar Command: The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) is India's only tri-service command and has a large footprint in the archipelago. The armed forces are not listed in the Second Schedule to the RTI Act, so they are not exempt under Section 24. However, operational information is substantially protected under Section 8(1)(a) — information relating to national security, strategic interests, and defence deployment. Administrative matters concerning the Navy (civilian staff, procurement disputes, civilian contractor matters) may be accessible through RTI; operational and intelligence matters will not be. Second appeal for any accessible Navy/ANC administrative matter: CIC.

Indian Coast Guard: Similar position to the Navy. Not in the Second Schedule. Administrative matters potentially accessible; operational matters protected under Section 8(1)(a).

Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL): A Central Government body under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Administers lighthouses across India including in A&N. Fully accessible under RTI for administrative matters. Second appeal: CIC.

BSF (Border Security Force): Listed in the Second Schedule but only for its intelligence functions under Section 24. Administrative matters are accessible. In A&N context, BSF's presence is primarily relevant to border and coastal security — operational matters will be protected.

Public Authority Quick Reference for A&N RTI

Practical Filing Tips for A&N Residents

Filing by post: A&N residents who cannot access the online portal easily can file RTI applications by post. Send the application by registered post (speed post preferred) to the CPIO of the relevant department. Include a demand draft or Indian Postal Order (IPO) for ₹10 payable to the accounts officer of the department, or send the fee by cash or money order as prescribed. Retain the posting receipt.

Online filing: The Central Government RTI portal at rtionline.gov.in accepts online applications for all Central Government bodies including A&N Administration departments. Online payment of ₹10 is accepted. Verify the current official URL before filing.

Identify the correct department: In a UT administration, the same person may deal with multiple departments. Make sure your application goes to the CPIO of the specific department that holds the information — Revenue for land records, Fisheries for fishing licences, Home for permits, and so on.

Be specific: The more specific you are, the harder it is for a CPIO to claim that the information "cannot be ascertained." Include reference numbers, dates, survey numbers, or application numbers where available.

First Appeal: Under Section 19(1), if no response arrives within 30 days or the response is inadequate, file a First Appeal with the FAA within the same public authority within 30 days of the date of the decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable.

Second Appeal to CIC: If the First Appeal is also unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission under Section 19(3) within 90 days. The CIC in New Delhi has jurisdiction over all A&N bodies. The penalty provision under Section 20 — ₹250 per day up to ₹25,000 on the defaulting CPIO — applies if the CIC finds the refusal was unjustified.

How RTISathi Can Help

Filing RTI from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands — particularly for residents on smaller islands without reliable internet access — involves navigating the correct departmental hierarchy within the UT Administration, identifying the precise CPIO, and framing questions that are legally sound and targeted enough to generate useful responses.

RTISathi.com provides end-to-end RTI filing support for A&N residents and for those dealing with A&N government bodies from the mainland. We identify the correct public authority, draft your application under Section 6 of the RTI Act with specific, legally framed questions, file through the official portal, and handle First and Second Appeals to the CIC when the initial response falls short.

Visit RTISathi.com or write to [email protected]. RTISathi charges ₹149 + GST per application — payable only after you have reviewed the draft and are satisfied with it.