RTI in Assam: Dharitree Land Records, APDCL, NRC-Related Documents, and the Assam Information Commission

Assam occupies a distinct position in India's RTI landscape. The state's land records system — with its Dag numbers, Patta numbers, Jamabandis, and a variety of special land categories found nowhere else in India — generates a steady stream of ownership disputes and mutation delays for which RTI is often the most effective tool available. At the same time, Assam has lived through the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process, making it one of the few states where RTI has been used extensively to access information about administrative decisions on citizenship documentation. Add to this the state's major public electricity distributor, its public service commissions, urban development authorities, and the presence of several significant Central Government bodies — and you have a state where understanding the two-track RTI system can make the difference between a useful response and months of procedural confusion.

This guide covers the full picture: the Assam Information Commission and when it applies, the Dharitree land records system and how to use RTI within it, RTI for APDCL electricity disputes, the carefully bounded use of RTI in relation to NRC documentation, and the Central Government bodies in Assam where second appeals go to the CIC in New Delhi rather than to the Assam Information Commission.

The Two-Track System: State Bodies vs. Central Bodies in Assam

The Right to Information Act, 2005 is a Central law that applies uniformly across India. But the body that hears your second appeal — the critical step when a government office does not respond or gives an incomplete answer — depends on whether the public authority you filed against is a state body or a Central Government body.

State bodies — departments and agencies of the Assam government, state PSUs, urban local bodies, panchayat bodies, Assam Police, boards and commissions created under state legislation — go to the Assam Information Commission (also referred to as ASIC), established under Section 15 of the RTI Act. This is the Assam State Information Commission, based in Guwahati.

Central bodies — offices of the Union Government operating in Assam, Central public sector undertakings, institutions established by Parliament or controlled by a Central ministry — go to the Central Information Commission (CIC) in New Delhi.

The appeal chain is the same in both tracks:

1. First Appeal under Section 19(1): File with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) — a senior officer within the same public authority — within 30 days of the date of the CPIO's response, or within 30 days of the expiry of the 30-day response period under Section 7(1) if you received no response at all.
2. Second Appeal under Section 19(3): If the First Appeal is unsatisfactory or unanswered, file with the Assam Information Commission (for state bodies) or the CIC (for Central bodies).

The most common mistake Assam RTI filers make is filing a second appeal against a Central Government body — the Northeast Frontier Railway, an EPFO regional office, an Income Tax office in Guwahati — with the Assam Information Commission. The ASIC has no jurisdiction over Central bodies. Your appeal will be returned, and you will have lost the time. Get the track right first.

The Assam Information Commission: Powers and Penalties

The Assam Information Commission was established under Section 15 of the RTI Act, 2005, which requires every state government to constitute a State Information Commission. The ASIC is headquartered in Guwahati.

The ASIC has the powers of a civil court when hearing second appeals and complaints. Under Section 20 of the RTI Act, it can impose a penalty of ₹250 per day on the CPIO personally for each day of unjustified delay, subject to a maximum of ₹25,000. It can also recommend disciplinary action against errant officials and order disclosure of information that was improperly withheld. These are real consequences — the penalty is personal, not institutional, which gives the provision more deterrent effect than might appear on paper.

The ASIC's jurisdiction is limited to public authorities that are Assam state bodies. For complaints against a Central body operating in Assam — including any complaints about a CPIO at the Northeast Frontier Railway, ONGC, or Oil India Limited refusing to accept your application — the appropriate forum is the CIC.

Filing RTI with Assam State Bodies: Fee, Rules, and Format

The RTI Act is a Central law, but Section 28 gives state governments the power to frame their own rules covering fees, payment modes, application formats, and related procedures for state bodies. Assam has notified its own RTI rules for state public authorities.

Fee: The prescribed fee for state bodies in Assam is governed by the Assam RTI Rules notified under Section 28. Always verify the current applicable fee on the official Assam government website before filing, as fee schedules can be revised by notification. Any specific figure cited in secondary guides — including this one — may not reflect the latest revision.

BPL exemption: Regardless of what Assam's state rules say about fees, Section 7(5) of the RTI Act exempts Below Poverty Line (BPL) cardholders from all fees — for both state and Central body RTIs. This is in the parent Act and cannot be diluted by state rules. Attach a self-attested copy of your BPL card and cite Section 7(5) explicitly.

Online and postal filing: Assam has an online RTI portal for state government bodies. Always verify the current URL on the official Assam government website before using any online portal — portal URLs and interfaces can change. For postal filing, send your RTI application by Speed Post or registered post to the CPIO at the relevant public authority. Keep the Speed Post receipt — it establishes the date of receipt, which starts the 30-day clock under Section 7(1).

Language: RTI applications in Assam can be filed in Assamese or English. Filing in Assamese is perfectly valid and may be more practical for queries directed to district-level revenue offices where records are maintained in Assamese.

Response time: Under Section 7(1), the CPIO must provide information within 30 days of receipt. If the information requested concerns the life or liberty of a person, the Section 7(1) proviso requires a response within 48 hours.

Dharitree: Assam's Land Records System

Land records are among the most common subjects of RTI applications in Assam. The state has a distinctive land records system — different terminology, different categories of land tenure, and different administrative offices from most other Indian states. Before drafting an RTI about land, it is essential to understand the framework.

Dag Number and Patta Number: The Two Core Identifiers

Every RTI about land in Assam will revolve around two identifiers:

Dag Number (Plot Number): The Dag number is the unique identifier for an individual plot or parcel of land within a village or Mouza. It is the cadastral identifier — the number that appears on the field map and in the government's plot-level records. It corresponds roughly to the Khasra number in northern India or the Survey number in the south. When you are asking the government about a specific piece of land, the Dag number is the first and most important piece of information to include.

Patta Number (Ownership Record): The Patta number identifies the ownership record — the document that records who holds the rights over specific Dag numbers in a given Mouza. A Patta is somewhat analogous to a Khatian in West Bengal or a 7/12 extract in Maharashtra. It lists the Patta holder's name, the Dag numbers covered by that Patta, the area of each Dag, the land classification, and the nature of the right.

The combination of Dag number and Patta number — along with the Mouza name and district — is what uniquely identifies a piece of land in Assam's records. An RTI without these identifiers is likely to receive an unhelpful or incomplete response.

Jamabandi: The Record of Rights

The Jamabandi (also called the Record of Rights or ROR) is the comprehensive register maintained at the Circle Officer's office (Revenue Circle) that consolidates all land ownership information for a village or Mouza. The Jamabandi entry for a Dag number shows:

• The Patta number and the name of the Patta holder (owner or tenant)
• The area of the plot (in bighas, kathas, and lessas — Assam's traditional measurement units — as well as hectares)
• The land classification (agricultural, homestead, fallow, etc.)
• Tenancy details, if any
• Whether the land falls in a special category

A Jamabandi is a revenue record, not a title deed. The relationship between Jamabandi records and registered sale deeds is a frequent source of confusion and dispute in Assam. When the Jamabandi shows a different owner from the registered deed, or when a mutation has not been carried out after a purchase, RTI is the most direct way to understand the state of the revenue records and the history of changes.

Mutation via Revenue Circle Officer

In Assam, mutation — the process of updating the Jamabandi record to reflect a new owner after a sale, inheritance, or gift — is processed by the Revenue Circle Officer (Circle Officer). The Circle Officer is the primary CPIO for land records at the circle level.

If your mutation application is stuck, RTI is effective. Ask the CPIO at the Revenue Circle Officer's office for:

1. A certified copy of the mutation application submitted on date for Dag number(s) X in Mouza Y, Circle Z, District A.
2. The current status of this application as on the date of this RTI.
3. If any order has been passed — approving, rejecting, or directing further inquiry — a certified copy of that order.
4. If the application is pending, the reason for the delay and the name of the officer currently responsible for processing it.
5. The file movement register entry for this application, showing all offices through which the file has passed and the dates.

For district-level land records matters, the Deputy Commissioner's (DC) office is also a relevant authority.

Dharitree: The Online Land Records Portal

The Assam government maintains Dharitree as its online land records portal. Dharitree allows citizens to view Jamabandi records, Dag information, and mutation status online. For many queries — viewing who is recorded as the Patta holder for a given Dag, checking whether a mutation has been recorded — Dharitree may give you the information you need without a formal RTI.

However, Dharitree has important limitations. Portal data may lag behind office records. For certified copies of Jamabandis or mutation orders — documents bearing official seal that are usable as evidence in legal proceedings — you need to go through the formal process at the Circle Officer's office or District Records Room. And when you need to understand why a mutation was rejected, who applied for a mutation you did not authorise, or what orders were passed on a disputed Dag — RTI is the appropriate tool.

Always verify the current URL of the Dharitree portal on the official Assam government website before use. Portal URLs and interfaces can change, and links shared in secondary sources may be outdated.

Assam's Special Land Categories

Assam has several categories of land tenure that appear in Jamabandi records and that have specific legal implications. Understanding which category your land falls under determines what rights you have and what RTI questions are relevant.

Periodic Patta: The standard settled land tenure in Assam. A Periodic Patta is issued for a defined period (typically 15 years, renewable) and gives the holder the right to use and transfer the land, subject to conditions. Periodic Pattas are the most common form of settled land tenure for agricultural and homestead land.

Annodhi Patta (Temporary Patta): A temporary or provisional land settlement, issued pending final settlement. Annodhi Patta land is more precarious than Periodic Patta land — it can be revoked, and the rights are more limited. Disputes about whether an Annodhi Patta has been converted to a Periodic Patta, or whether the temporary period has expired, are common RTI subjects.

Gorukhuti / Grazing Reserve Land: Large areas in the Brahmaputra valley are classified as Gorukhuti (grazing reserves) or reserved grazing grounds under Assam revenue records. This land is government-managed reserve land. If you believe land classified as Gorukhuti has been irregularly settled or encroached upon, RTI to the Revenue Circle Officer or Deputy Commissioner can produce the classification records, any diversion or de-reservation orders, and the identity of any parties who were given rights over it.

Satra Land (Religious Endowment Land): Assam has a significant tradition of Vaishnavite Satras (monasteries established by the Ekasarana tradition of Srimanta Sankardeva). Many Satras hold land under historical grants or settlements — Satra Lands — with specific land records entries noting the Satra's name as the holder. Disputes over Satra land boundaries, encroachments, or claims by individuals are adjudicated through civil and revenue courts, but RTI can help you get the underlying record — the Jamabandi entry for the Dag number, the original settlement order, any mutation applications filed over Satra land.

RTI and the NRC (National Register of Citizens) in Assam

The National Register of Citizens for Assam was updated through a process conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court of India, administered by the NRC Secretariat, Assam — a state government body. This section explains how RTI interacts with the NRC process, presented strictly as an administrative and legal matter.

Jurisdiction: The NRC Secretariat is a State Body

The NRC Secretariat, Assam, is a state government body. Second appeals in RTI matters relating to the NRC Secretariat go to the Assam Information Commission, not the CIC.

What RTI Can Be Used For in NRC Matters

Accessing information about your own case: The RTI Act gives every citizen the right to access information held by a public authority. A person whose name was excluded from the NRC — or whose claim was rejected at the verification stage — is entitled to seek information about the administrative processing of their own case. Specific uses include:

• Seeking a copy of the official order or communication recording the rejection of a claim or objection, along with the reasons stated
• Understanding which supporting documents (legacy data documents, link documents, or residence documents) were considered by the NRC authority in processing your case
• Seeking a copy of the computation or enumeration entry in the NRC records for your family

Policy documents and general procedures: RTI can be used to obtain copies of the general procedural guidelines, criteria for accepting legacy data, verification procedures, or policy circulars issued by the NRC Secretariat. These are administrative documents that do not pertain to any individual's personal data and are not exempt from disclosure.

What RTI Cannot Be Used For in NRC Matters

Individual data of other persons: Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act exempts from disclosure personal information about individuals where disclosure has no relationship to any public activity or interest, or where it would cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy of the individual. The NRC inclusion or exclusion status of another person — someone who is not the RTI applicant — is protected under this provision. You cannot use an RTI to find out whether a specific named third party is included or excluded from the NRC, or to obtain their NRC-related file.

Operational data subject to other legal restrictions: Where specific information has been restricted by court orders in the Supreme Court proceedings that governed the NRC update process, those restrictions govern regardless of the RTI Act.

The NRC is a sensitive and contested subject in Assam. This guide presents RTI's role in NRC matters solely as an administrative tool — the right of a person to access information about their own case and the right to access general policy documents. No political commentary is intended or appropriate here.

APDCL: RTI for Electricity Disputes in Assam

Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) is the state electricity distribution company for Assam. It is a state government PSU — second appeals go to the Assam Information Commission, not the CIC.

APDCL is one of the most commonly targeted public authorities in Assam RTI filings. Billing disputes, connection delays, and transformer failures generate a steady volume of applications.

Billing Disputes

If you have received an unusually high electricity bill, a demand for arrears you do not recognise, or a bill based on estimated consumption when your meter is functioning, RTI is effective. Ask the CPIO at the relevant APDCL Division or Sub-Division for:

• The meter reading register entries for your consumer number for the past 12 months, showing the recorded reading for each billing cycle and whether each reading was actual or estimated
• The date and reading recorded during the last physical meter inspection at your premises
• The basis and formula applied for any billing cycle where consumption was estimated rather than meter-read
• Copies of any communications or orders underlying any arrear demand raised against your consumer account

Connection Delays

For a delayed new connection or load extension:

• The current status of connection application number X filed on date
• The name and designation of the officer responsible for processing your application
• Whether any technical deficiency, pending inspection, or infrastructure constraint has been noted, and a copy of that communication
• The timeline committed under APDCL's service charter or the applicable electricity supply code for processing this category of application

Transformer Faults and Outages

• The date, time, and nature of the fault affecting area/feeder/transformer ID
• The reasons recorded for any delay beyond standard restoration timelines
• Complaint register entries for complaints registered about this outage

File RTI with the CPIO at the APDCL Division or Sub-Division office that manages your consumer account. Escalate to the APDCL Circle office if your matter has already been raised at the sub-division level without resolution.

APSC and SLRC: Public Service Commission and Recruitment RTI

Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) is the constitutional body responsible for conducting competitive examinations for appointment to Assam state services. It is a state body — second appeals go to the Assam Information Commission.

RTI applications to APSC are commonly used for:

• Obtaining your marks in individual papers or subjects of an APSC examination, identified by your roll number and the examination name and year
• The cut-off marks applied for inclusion in the merit/select list
• The total number of candidates who appeared for the examination and the number selected
• Where a selection has been completed, the final merit list and the basis of the selection

State Level Recruitment Commission (SLRC), which has overseen mass recruitment to Grade III and Grade IV state government posts in Assam, is also a state body — ASIC track for appeals.

For APSC and SLRC RTIs, be specific: include the full official name of the examination, the notification number, the year, your roll number or registration number, and the specific information you are seeking. Vague questions get vague answers.

Assam Police: RTI for Police-Related Matters

Assam Police is a state body — all second appeals go to the Assam Information Commission.

Common RTI uses with Assam Police:

• FIR copy: Under Section 4 (proactive disclosure norms) and RTI practice, the registered complainant or a named accused person has access to FIR copies. If you have not received a copy of an FIR you filed, RTI to the CPIO at the relevant police station or the Superintendent of Police's office is effective.
• Status of a complaint: If you filed a complaint that was not registered as an FIR, asking for the record of complaint and the action taken is a valid RTI.
• Recruitment records: For police recruitment at the Assam Police level — constable, sub-inspector recruitment — RTI can be used to obtain merit lists, selection criteria, and the basis of any rejection.

RTI to Assam Police has limitations: information that would impede an ongoing investigation, identify informants, or prejudice apprehension of an offender is exempt under Section 8(1)(h). But completed matters, records of disposed complaints, and administrative decisions are generally accessible.

GMDA: Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority

Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is the urban development authority for the Guwahati metropolitan area. It is a state body created under Assam state legislation — second appeals go to the Assam Information Commission.

RTI with GMDA is useful for:

• Building plan approvals: Whether a plan was submitted for a specific address, when it was approved, what deviations were sanctioned, and whether a Completion Certificate or Occupancy Certificate was issued. This is particularly relevant before purchasing a flat in Guwahati — an approved plan and OC are the bare minimum evidence of a legal structure.
• Land use conversion and development permissions: Records of applications for land use change, the orders passed, and the conditions attached.
• Road or drain work orders: Whether a specific road-widening, drain-construction, or maintenance order has been issued for your area, the contractor assigned, and the timeline.

File with the CPIO at the relevant GMDA office in Guwahati.

Kamrup Metro District: Municipal Records and Urban Local Bodies

Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) — the urban local body for Guwahati city — and other urban local bodies (town committees and municipal boards) under the Assam government are state bodies. Second appeals go to the Assam Information Commission.

RTI with Guwahati Municipal Corporation is used for:

• Property tax records: The assessed value, the basis of assessment, the tax payment history for a specific property. Useful for verifying outstanding dues before a property transaction.
• Trade licences: Whether a business at a specific address holds a valid GMC trade licence.
• Building permissions within GMC area: For areas within GMC jurisdiction (as opposed to GMDA jurisdiction), building plan approvals and OCs are issued by the Corporation.

Tea Garden Workers: Labour Department RTI

Assam is home to a significant tea garden workforce. Welfare schemes for tea garden workers — provident fund entitlements under state schemes, housing grants, educational support, ration entitlements under TPDS (Targeted Public Distribution System) — are administered by the Assam Labour Department and related state agencies. These are state bodies — second appeals go to the Assam Information Commission.

RTI applications in this context are used for:

• The beneficiary list for a welfare scheme at a named tea estate or district, and the status of disbursements
• Inspection records for labour law compliance at a specific tea estate
• Records of complaints filed by workers regarding non-payment of minimum wages or PF and the action taken

For Central Government PF schemes (EPFO) applicable to tea garden workers, see the Central bodies section below — those go to the CIC.

Central Government Bodies in Assam: These Go to CIC, Not ASIC

Several significant institutions physically located in Assam are Central Government bodies. Their second appeals go to the Central Information Commission (CIC) in New Delhi, not the Assam Information Commission. Filing with the wrong body is a time-consuming error.

Key Central bodies in Assam:

Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR): The NFR is one of India's 18 zonal railways, headquartered in Maligaon, Guwahati. It is a Central Government body under the Ministry of Railways. RTI for railway-related matters — contractor records, station work, berth allotment irregularities, staff recruitment — goes to the CPIO at the relevant Divisional Railway Manager's office; second appeal to the CIC.

Income Tax Department (Assam): The Income Tax Commissioner's offices and Income Tax offices in Guwahati and other Assam cities are Central Government offices. Second appeal: CIC.

EPFO (Employees' Provident Fund Organisation): Regional and sub-regional EPFO offices in Assam are Central bodies. Second appeal: CIC. (This includes PF-related RTIs for tea garden workers covered by EPFO.)

IIT Guwahati: Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati is a Central autonomous institution under the Ministry of Education, established by Parliament. RTI on rtionline.gov.in; second appeal to the CIC.

NIT Silchar: National Institute of Technology Silchar is similarly a Central institution. RTI on rtionline.gov.in; CIC on second appeal.

Customs and CBIC (Guwahati Customs): The Customs Commissionerate in Guwahati is a Central Government office under the Ministry of Finance. Second appeal: CIC.

BSNL (Assam Circle): Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is a Central PSU. Second appeal: CIC.

Airports Authority of India — Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati: AAI operates the Guwahati airport. It is a Central PSU. Second appeal: CIC.

ONGC (Assam Asset): Oil and Natural Gas Corporation operates oil fields in Assam. It is a Central PSU. Second appeal: CIC.

Oil India Limited (OIL): Oil India Limited, headquartered in Duliajan, Assam, is a Central PSU under the Ministry of Petroleum. Second appeal: CIC.

Armed Forces / Paramilitary headquarters in Assam: Eastern Command formations, CRPF, BSF, SSB, and Assam Rifles (Ministry of Home Affairs) are all Central bodies. Second appeal: CIC. Note that Section 24 of the RTI Act and its Schedule exempt certain intelligence and security organisations from RTI coverage entirely — check whether a specific paramilitary formation is listed on the Schedule before filing.

Quick Reference: Assam RTI at a Glance

Key RTI Act Sections for Assam Filers

Regardless of whether you are filing with a state or Central body, the substantive provisions of the RTI Act apply uniformly. These are the sections you will reference most often:

• Section 2(h): Definition of "public authority" — only bodies meeting this definition are subject to the RTI Act.
• Section 6: How to file an RTI application — in writing, to the CPIO, in English, Hindi, or the official language of the area.
• Section 7(1): The CPIO must respond within 30 days of receipt. Within 48 hours if the information concerns the life or liberty of a person.
• Section 7(5): BPL cardholders are exempt from all fees. Information is provided free if the CPIO fails to comply within the time limit.
• Section 8(1)(j): Exemption for personal information about individuals where disclosure would constitute unwarranted invasion of privacy — applies to third-party NRC data and similar personal records.
• Section 15: Establishment of State Information Commissions (the source of the Assam Information Commission's existence and authority).
• Section 19(1): First Appeal to the First Appellate Authority within 30 days of the CPIO's response or the expiry of the response period.
• Section 19(3): Second Appeal to the State Information Commission (ASIC) or CIC, as applicable.
• Section 20: Penalty of ₹250 per day (maximum ₹25,000) on the CPIO for unjustified non-compliance.
• Section 28: Power of state governments to frame RTI rules for state bodies — source of the Assam RTI Rules.

A Practical Step-by-Step: Filing an RTI About a Stuck Mutation in Assam

To make this concrete, here is how a typical land records RTI would work from start to finish.

Scenario: You purchased agricultural land in a Mouza in Kamrup district, had the sale deed registered, and submitted a mutation application to the Revenue Circle Officer six months ago. There has been no response. You want to know the status and see any order or note on the file.

Step 1 — Identify the CPIO. The CPIO for land records at the circle level is the Revenue Circle Officer (or the officer designated as CPIO at that Circle Office). Find the address of the Circle Office for your Mouza.

Step 2 — Draft your RTI application. Include:

• Your name and postal address
• The Mouza name, Dag number(s), and Patta number you applied to mutate
• The approximate date of your mutation application and any acknowledgement number
• The district and revenue circle name

Ask specifically for the four pieces of information listed in the mutation RTI template above.

Step 3 — Pay the fee. Check the current Assam RTI fee applicable to state bodies. Attach the applicable fee instrument as required under the Assam RTI Rules. Verify the accepted payment modes (court fee stamps, demand draft, IPO, or online payment if the portal accepts it).

Step 4 — Send by Speed Post. Address it to: "The CPIO, Office of the Revenue Circle Officer, Circle Name, District". Keep the Speed Post receipt.

Step 5 — Track the response. The 30-day clock starts from the date the CPIO receives your application. If no response by day 31, you are entitled to file a First Appeal with the First Appellate Authority (typically the Sub-Divisional Officer or District Commissioner's office for land records). If still unresolved, file a Second Appeal with the Assam Information Commission.

Final Note: Assam's RTI Landscape

Assam's RTI usage reflects the state's specific circumstances — the centrality of land in a largely agricultural economy, the complexity of multiple land tenure categories inherited from colonial-era settlement policy, the NRC process and its administrative aftermath, and the presence of major Central bodies like the Northeast Frontier Railway, IIT Guwahati, ONGC, and Oil India Limited operating alongside state agencies in the same geography.

The two-track distinction between state and Central bodies is more consequential in Assam than in some other states, precisely because significant Central-government economic activity — oil, railways, higher education — operates alongside state administration in the same districts. When in doubt about which track applies, the test is simple: which government created or controls the body? The state government of Assam, or the Union Government and a central ministry? The answer determines your portal, your fee rules, and your appeal body.

Dharitree gives you a digital window into Jamabandi records. RTI gives you certified, legally usable copies and — more importantly — answers to the questions Dharitree cannot answer: why a mutation is stuck, who applied for a change you did not authorise, what order was passed and by whom.

RTISathi.com helps Indian citizens draft RTI applications for Central Government and Delhi State bodies — and our state RTI guides cover the key public authorities across major Indian states. If you are filing an RTI in Assam, use this guide to identify the right authority, get the track right, and frame your questions with enough specificity to leave no room for an unhelpful response.