RTI in Madhya Pradesh: MP Bhulekh, MPESB, and the MP Information Commission

Madhya Pradesh sits at the centre of India geographically, and its public institutions — from vast district land revenue offices to state recruitment boards to electricity distribution companies — are among the most RTI-active bodies in the country. Citizens in MP who understand one foundational rule will immediately know which portal to file on, which commission to appeal to, and where their application is going. That rule is the two-track system.

Track 1: Central Government bodies physically located in MP — the Income Tax Department in Bhopal, the West Central Railway headquartered in Jabalpur, EPFO regional offices, IIT Indore, NIT Bhopal — are Central Government public authorities under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005. RTI applications for these bodies go on the Central Government portal (rtionline.gov.in), and any Second Appeal under Section 19(3) goes to the Central Information Commission (CIC) in New Delhi.

Track 2: Madhya Pradesh state government bodies — MP Revenue Department and land records, MPESB, MPPSC, MP power companies, MP Police, Bhopal Municipal Corporation, MP RERA — are state public authorities. RTI applications for these bodies go through the MP state RTI mechanism (check the official MP government website for the current portal URL), and Second Appeals go to the Madhya Pradesh Information Commission (MPIC) in Bhopal.

The geographic location of an office has no bearing on which track it belongs to. A Central Government office sitting in Indore is still a Central Government body. A state government office in a district headquarters is still a state body. The question is always: which government established and controls this authority?

This guide walks through both tracks in detail, with particular focus on the bodies that generate the most RTI requests in MP: the land records system, state recruitment, electricity companies, and more.

The Madhya Pradesh Information Commission

The Madhya Pradesh Information Commission (MPIC) was established under Section 15 of the RTI Act, 2005, which mandates every state government to constitute a State Information Commission. MPIC is headquartered in Bhopal and has jurisdiction over all MP state public authorities.

Its role in the RTI machinery is specific: it handles Second Appeals under Section 19(3) when a citizen is unsatisfied with the First Appellate Authority's decision (or when no decision was given), and complaints under Section 18 where there was no response, the information was incomplete, or the citizen was charged excessive fees. MPIC does not handle First Appeals — those go to the designated First Appellate Authority within the public authority itself, filed under Section 19(1) within 30 days of the decision (or within 30 days of the expiry of the 30-day response period if there was no decision at all).

Where a PIO or First Appellate Authority within an MP state body fails to respond or provides demonstrably inadequate responses, MPIC can impose a penalty on the Public Information Officer personally under Section 20 of the Act: ₹250 per day of delay, up to a maximum of ₹25,000. The commission can also recommend departmental action. This personal penalty clause is an important lever — it creates accountability at the individual officer level, not just the institutional level.

For Central Government bodies in MP — no matter where they are physically located — MPIC has no jurisdiction. Those Second Appeals go to the CIC.

Filing Fee and RTI Rules for MP State Bodies

Under Section 28 of the RTI Act, state governments have the authority to frame their own rules governing the procedure for requesting information from state public authorities, including the fee structure. The Madhya Pradesh government has framed such rules. Before filing, verify the current fee amount and accepted payment modes on the official MP government website, as these details can be updated by the state government.

For Central Government bodies in MP, the fee is ₹10 under the RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005, payable through rtionline.gov.in.

Under Section 7(5) of the RTI Act, persons who hold a valid BPL (Below Poverty Line) card are exempt from paying any fee — both for the initial application and for the cost of providing information. This exemption applies to both Central and state RTI applications. If you are a BPL cardholder, attach a copy of your BPL card with your application and assert the exemption explicitly.

Under Section 7(1), the public authority must respond within 30 days of receiving the application. If the information sought concerns the life or liberty of a person, the proviso to Section 7(1) requires a response within 48 hours. If you receive no response within 30 days, you are "deemed refused" and can file a First Appeal under Section 19(1) immediately.

MP Bhulekh and Land Records

Madhya Pradesh's digital land records system — commonly known as MP Bhulekh — is one of the most practically important RTI use cases in the state. Land disputes, encroachments, incorrect entries, and stuck mutations generate a significant volume of RTI applications to the Revenue Department every year.

Before getting into RTI, it helps to understand the records themselves.

Khasra is the field-level land record maintained at the village level by the Patwari (the lowest level Revenue Department official). Each Khasra entry is identified by a survey number and records: the boundaries of that plot, the area, the land type (irrigated, unirrigated, forest, waste), the crop details (kharif and rabi seasons), and the name of the cultivator or occupant. The Khasra is essentially the field register — it documents the ground reality of each plot.

Khatoni (also called the Register of Holdings) is the village register that organises land ownership. It records who holds what in the village — mapping from the owner or rights-holder to the plots they own. Where Khasra is organised by plot, Khatoni is organised by person. If you want to know what plots a given landowner holds in a village, you look at the Khatoni.

B1 (sometimes written as B-1) is the landowner's extract — a document that pulls together all the Khasra entries for a given owner into a single statement. It is the most commonly requested certified copy for loan applications, property transactions, and litigation.

The hierarchy of Revenue administration in MP runs: Patwari (village level, maintains day-to-day records) → Tehsildar (tehsil level, handles mutations, corrections, appeals against Patwari decisions) → Sub-Divisional Magistrate → Collector (district level). The Tehsildar is the most frequently relevant officer for mutation (Naama) proceedings.

When to use RTI for land records:

When portal records are wrong: MP Bhulekh provides online access to Khasra and Khatoni data. If you find an error on the portal — a wrong name, wrong area, wrong land type — the portal view is drawn from the official records maintained by the Revenue Department. An RTI application asking for the actual physical Khasra or Khatoni entry, the date of the last correction, and who authorised it can help you establish what the official record says versus what appears on the portal, and can form the basis for a formal correction application.

When a mutation (Naama) is stuck: Mutation is the process of updating the revenue records to reflect a change in ownership (after sale, inheritance, gift, court decree). Mutations can sit undecided for months or years. An RTI application to the Tehsildar (CPIO for the Tehsil's Revenue office) asking for the status of mutation case number X, the date it was submitted, the stage at which it is currently pending, and the reasons for delay — creates a paper trail and often accelerates action.

When you need certified copies of historical records: For partition proceedings, family settlements, or litigation involving historical land ownership, you may need certified copies of Khasra or Khatoni entries from years before the current digital records. These older records may not be on the portal. An RTI application to the Tehsil Revenue Office asking for a certified copy of the Khasra / Khatoni / Jamabandi entry for survey number X, village Y, tehsil Z, district W for the year year can produce documents that are not otherwise publicly accessible.

When you need to verify encumbrance or unauthorised occupation: RTI can produce the official record of who is recorded as having rights over a plot — which can be compared to physical occupation on the ground.

Framing your land RTI request: Always include: survey number (Khasra number), village name, tehsil name, and district name. Without these four elements, the Revenue office cannot identify the specific record. If you know the mutation case number, include it. Address the application to the CPIO of the relevant Tehsil Revenue Office or District Collector's office depending on what you need.

The MP Revenue Department and Bhulekh portal are state bodies under the Revenue Department. RTI applications go through the MP state mechanism. Second Appeals go to MPIC, not CIC.

Always verify the current URL of the MP Bhulekh portal on the official MP government website before using it — do not rely on third-party links.

MPESB: The Madhya Pradesh Employee Selection Board

The Madhya Pradesh Employee Selection Board (MPESB) — which has historically been known in public discourse by its former acronym Vyapam, drawn from its previous full name — is the state body responsible for conducting recruitment examinations for various categories of state government posts: Group 4 (peon-level), constable recruitment for MP Police, forest guard examinations, and a range of other state service posts.

MPESB is a state public authority under the MP government. RTI applications are filed under the MP state mechanism, and Second Appeals go to MPIC.

RTI uses for MPESB recruitment:

The most common and legitimate uses are:

• Question paper and answer key: After an exam is over and results are declared, asking for the official question paper and the final answer key (post-challenge) is a routine and valid RTI request. Many candidates use this to independently verify whether their answers were correctly evaluated.
• Marks obtained: An RTI asking for the marks or score obtained by the applicant (identified by roll number and exam name) in a specific MPESB examination is a request for personal information — information that pertains to the applicant themselves. Courts and information commissions have consistently held that candidates are entitled to their own exam-related records.
• Selection list and merit list: Asking for the final merit list or selection list — including the cut-off marks for different categories — is a transparency request about how a public recruitment process was concluded. This is public process information, not private data about selected candidates.
• Normalisation methodology: Where marks are normalised across different shifts or exam sessions, asking for the normalisation formula applied is a legitimate question about how the scoring was conducted.

A historical note on transparency and RTI: In the period roughly 2013–2015, RTI applications to MPESB and associated state bodies seeking recruitment records — question papers, mark sheets, selection lists — were among the tools used by citizens, journalists, and activists to seek information about alleged irregularities in multiple recruitment examinations. These are documented, public-record facts. The RTI Act's role as an accountability mechanism in the context of government recruitment has been demonstrated through this history. MPESB has since undergone restructuring and renamed itself from Vyapam to the Madhya Pradesh Employee Selection Board. Current applications to MPESB are applications to the reconstituted state body, and the RTI mechanism functions as it does for any other state authority.

MPPSC: Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission

The Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) conducts the state civil services examinations for recruitment to Class I and Class II state government services — MPCS (Madhya Pradesh Civil Service), MPFS (forest services), and others. It is a constitutional body established under Article 315 of the Constitution of India, constituted under the MP state government.

MPPSC is a state public authority. RTI applications go through the MP state mechanism. Second Appeals go to MPIC.

RTI uses for MPPSC:

• Marks in the Preliminary and Mains examinations: Candidates have routinely and successfully used RTI to get their answer sheet marks, the total marks scored, and the cut-off marks for qualifying to the next stage.
• Interview marks and evaluation criteria: Where candidates qualify for the interview (personality test) round, RTI can be used to ask for the marks awarded in the interview and, where available, the criteria used by the interview board. This area has seen significant RTI activity, as interview marks are often the deciding factor at the final stage of selection.
• Result sheets and merit lists: The final merit list, category-wise cut-offs, and the number of posts advertised versus filled are all public process information disclosable on RTI.

Address your application to the CPIO of the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission, Indore.

MP Power Distribution Companies

Madhya Pradesh's electricity distribution is handled by three state-owned companies that together cover the entire state:

• MPPKVVCL (Madhya Pradesh Paschim Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company Limited) — Western Zone, headquartered in Indore, covering districts including Indore, Ujjain, Ratlam, and others.
• MPPUVIVCL (Madhya Pradesh Poorv Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company Limited) — Eastern Zone, headquartered in Jabalpur, covering districts including Jabalpur, Rewa, Sagar, and others.
• MPEZ (Madhya Pradesh Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company Limited) — Central Zone, headquartered in Bhopal, covering Bhopal, Gwalior, and surrounding districts.

All three are state public authorities under the MP government. RTI applications go through the MP state mechanism. Second Appeals go to MPIC.

RTI uses for power distribution companies:

• Billing disputes: If your electricity bill shows consumption figures that seem incorrect, ask for the meter reading dates and readings for the disputed period, the previous billing cycle's readings, and the consumption data recorded at the distribution office. A billing dispute that the consumer helpline cannot resolve can often be forced into a formal process through RTI.
• Meter testing records: If you have applied for meter testing on the ground that your meter is faulty or running fast, ask for the meter test report, the date of testing, and the technician's findings.
• New connection status: New electricity connection applications can languish in processing for months. An RTI asking for the status of application number X, the date of receipt, the current stage, and the reasons for any delay — puts the company on notice and creates a timestamp for accountability.
• Transformer failure and outage data: Residents of areas with repeated outages or transformer failures can ask for the fault history log for the transformer serving their area, the dates of outages, the restoration times, and the reasons recorded by the distribution company.
• Subsidy application status: Applicants for agricultural connections or subsidised domestic connections can ask for the status and documents pending on their application.

MP RERA: Real Estate Regulatory Authority

The Madhya Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MP RERA) was established under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. It registers residential and commercial real estate projects in MP, registers agents, and handles complaints from home buyers against developers.

MP RERA is a state public authority. RTI applications go through the MP state mechanism. Second Appeals go to MPIC.

RTI uses for MP RERA:

• Project registration status: If a developer claims their project is RERA-registered but you cannot verify it online, an RTI asking for the registration details — project name, registration number, registered area, sanctioned plans, developer's declared completion date — is a direct check.
• Developer compliance filings: Registered developers are required to file quarterly progress updates with MP RERA. Asking for the latest compliance filing by a developer for a specific project gives you a snapshot of whether the developer is meeting their statutory disclosure obligations.
• Complaint details: If you have filed a complaint with MP RERA and it is pending, an RTI asking for the status — date of filing, stage of proceedings, any hearing dates scheduled — can clarify whether your complaint is actually being processed.
• Lapsed or revoked registrations: Asking for the list of projects whose registrations have lapsed or been revoked can reveal whether a developer's project is actually still valid.

MP RERA's headquarters is in Bhopal. Address RTI applications to the CPIO, MP RERA.

MP Police

MP Police is a state police force constituted under MP state law and under the administrative control of the MP state government's Home Department. RTI applications go through the MP state mechanism, and Second Appeals go to MPIC.

This is different from Delhi Police, which is under the Central Government. MP Police is entirely a state authority.

RTI uses for MP Police:

• FIR copy: Use Section 154(2) CrPC first — the informant has a direct right to a free copy of the FIR at the time of registration. If that right is denied or the police claim no FIR was registered, escalate through RTI: ask whether an FIR was registered, the FIR number, and for a certified copy.
• Action taken on a complaint: If you filed a written complaint at a police station and received a complaint number, ask for the current status and the action taken.
• Charge sheet filing status: Once an investigation has concluded, whether by filing a charge sheet or a closure report, ask for the stage and date of that final action.

The important caveat: Section 8(1)(h) exempts information that would impede an ongoing investigation. Case diary contents for a live investigation are not disclosable. The FIR itself, the administrative status of the case (open or closed), and records relating to concluded proceedings are not protected by this exemption.

Address RTI applications to the CPIO of the relevant police station, range headquarters, or district superintendent's office depending on what you need.

Bhopal Municipal Corporation and Other Local Bodies

Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other urban local bodies across MP — Indore Municipal Corporation, Jabalpur Municipal Corporation, Nagar Palikas, Nagar Parishads — are state public authorities. RTI applications go through the MP state mechanism, and Second Appeals go to MPIC.

RTI uses for municipal bodies:

• Building plan approvals: If you are buying or renting a property, asking for the approved building plan for a given property, whether occupancy certificate (OC) was issued, and whether any unauthorised construction notices have been issued — gives you information that the physical inspection of the property cannot.
• Property tax records: Asking for the property tax assessment register entry for a specific property (identified by property number or address) can clarify the basis of assessment and reveal whether dues are outstanding.
• Ward development fund expenditure: Asking for the statement of expenditure under the ward development fund for a specific ward in a financial year — how much was allocated, how much spent, and on which works — is a standard accountability request for locally elected representatives.
• Solid waste and drain maintenance: If you are experiencing persistent problems with garbage collection or blocked drains, an RTI to the municipal body asking for the schedule of waste collection in your area and the maintenance records for the drain serving your locality puts the complaint in writing.

Central Government Bodies in MP: File on rtionline.gov.in, Appeal to CIC

The following types of bodies, even if physically located in Madhya Pradesh, are Central Government public authorities. Their RTI applications go to the Central Government portal (rtionline.gov.in), and Second Appeals go to the CIC:

• Income Tax Department (all assessment units, TDS offices, Principal CIT offices) — under Ministry of Finance
• EPFO Regional Offices in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, and elsewhere — under Ministry of Labour
• West Central Railway (headquartered in Jabalpur) and all railway divisions — Indian Railways is a Central Government body
• Customs and CBIC (Customs Commissionerate, GST offices) — under Ministry of Finance
• IIT Indore — established by Parliament; Central Government institution
• NIT Bhopal (MANIT) — Centrally-funded technical institution
• IIITDM Jabalpur — under Ministry of Education
• Airports Authority of India (AAI) — Raja Bhoj Airport Bhopal, Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport Indore
• BSNL — a Central Government Public Sector Undertaking
• BHEL Bhopal — Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited is a Central Government PSU; its Bhopal plant is a Central Government public authority
• Ordnance Factory Board units in Jabalpur — under Ministry of Defence
• Central Armed Forces (CRPF, BSF, CISF battalions or installations in MP) — Central Government, with the caveats under Section 24 of the RTI Act discussed above

A common mistake is filing an RTI for one of these bodies with the MP state mechanism or addressing a Second Appeal to MPIC. That will not work. The state mechanism and MPIC have no jurisdiction over Central Government bodies.

Quick Reference: Key MP Bodies

Always verify the current MP state RTI portal URL on the official MP government website before filing — do not rely on search results or third-party links.

Section Numbers You Need to Know

Filing a well-grounded RTI application means knowing which provisions apply to your situation:

• Section 2(h): Defines "public authority" — every body listed above qualifies.
• Section 6: Filing of application — how you formally request information.
• Section 7(1): 30-day response window for the public authority.
• Section 7(1) proviso: 48-hour response where the information concerns the life or liberty of a person.
• Section 7(5): BPL cardholders are exempt from all fees.
• Section 8(1)(h): Exemption for ongoing investigations — relevant for MP Police applications.
• Section 15: Statutory basis for state information commissions — the authority under which MPIC was established.
• Section 19(1): First Appeal to the First Appellate Authority within the public authority, filed within 30 days.
• Section 19(3): Second Appeal to MPIC (for state bodies) or CIC (for Central bodies), filed within 90 days of the First Appellate Authority's decision or the expiry of the First Appeal response period.
• Section 20: Penalty on the PIO — ₹250 per day, up to ₹25,000 — imposable by the information commission.
• Section 28: Authority of state governments to frame their own RTI rules, including fee structure.

Practical Tips for MP RTI Applications

For land records (Revenue Department): Always include the four-part address of the land: Khasra number, village, tehsil, and district. If you have a mutation case number, include it. If you know the relevant Patwari circle or Patwari's name, include that too. The more specific the identification, the easier it is for the CPIO to locate and produce the record.

For MPESB/MPPSC (recruitment): Include your roll number, the full name of the examination, the year the examination was conducted, and the specific document you want (mark sheet, answer key, merit list). Without the roll number, a request for your marks is unanswerable.

For MP Police: Include the police station name, district, complaint number (if any), FIR number (if known), and the date you filed the original complaint or the date of the incident. Specify whether you are asking for the FIR copy itself, the action taken report, or the charge sheet status — these are different documents and may involve different officers.

For electricity companies: Include your consumer account number, service connection number, the billing period in dispute, and the approximate date of any application you filed (for new connections, meter testing requests). The CPIO cannot locate your file without these identifiers.

On portal URLs: The MP state RTI portal URL should be verified directly on the official MP government website (mp.gov.in or the relevant department's official site). Portal URLs change, and using an outdated link may result in your application going nowhere — or being filed with the wrong body.

On fees: Verify the current fee and accepted payment modes on the official portal before filing. State fees can be revised by state government notification, and the accepted payment modes (demand draft, postal order, treasury challan, or online payment) vary.

The Penalty Mechanism: Making It Work for You

One of the most underused aspects of RTI in practice is the Section 20 penalty mechanism. When a PIO fails to respond within 30 days, provides demonstrably false or misleading information, destroys records subject to an RTI request, or obstructs information access without reasonable cause, the information commission can impose a personal financial penalty of ₹250 per day on that PIO, up to ₹25,000.

This is not automatic — it requires you to file a Second Appeal or complaint with MPIC (for state bodies) or CIC (for Central bodies) and make the case for why the delay or refusal was without reasonable cause. Include in your Second Appeal: the date of your original application, proof of payment, the date of dispatch, any response (or the absence of one), the date of your First Appeal, and the First Appellate Authority's response (or absence thereof). The stronger your paper trail, the stronger your case for penalty imposition.

For MP state bodies, that paper trail ends up before MPIC in Bhopal.

About RTISathi: RTISathi.com specialises in helping citizens file RTI applications with Central Government bodies and Delhi State Government bodies. If your RTI relates to Income Tax, EPFO, Railways, BHEL, IIT Indore, or any other Central Government body in Madhya Pradesh — RTISathi can help you file correctly on rtionline.gov.in with the appeal going to the CIC.

For RTI applications to MP state bodies — Revenue Department, MPESB, MPPSC, MP power companies, MP Police, MP RERA, and other MP state authorities — you will need to use the official MP state RTI portal. Verify the current portal URL on the official MP government website (mp.gov.in) before filing. The process and appeal chain (to MPIC) are distinct from the Central Government track, and filing on the wrong portal delays your application entirely.

Whether your RTI sits on the Central track or the state track, the 30-day clock under Section 7(1), the First Appeal right under Section 19(1), and the Second Appeal right under Section 19(3) apply equally. Know your track, file on the right portal, and follow through to the commission if needed.

RTISathi.com — helping citizens navigate Central Government and Delhi State RTI applications.