How to File RTI for AMRUT Urban Water and Sewerage Infrastructure — Fund Release, Project Status and DPR Approval

AMRUT — the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation — is the Central Government's dedicated programme for urban water supply and sewerage infrastructure in India's 500 statutory towns and cities. Launched in 2015, the original AMRUT (now referred to as AMRUT 1.0) ran until 2021, delivering water supply connections, underground sewerage networks, storm water drainage, and park development. AMRUT 2.0, launched in October 2021 and operational through 2025-26, sharpens the focus: universal water supply coverage and sewerage or septage management in all 500 AMRUT cities, backed by water balancing plans, city water action plans, and regular water audit submissions.

The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) at the Central level, through State Urban Development Departments and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) at the execution level. Thousands of crores in Central and state funds flow through this chain to contractors working on water treatment plants, pipelines, overhead tanks, and sewerage networks — yet project delays, incomplete works, and questionable progress reporting are widespread.

The Right to Information Act, 2005 is a direct and powerful instrument to pierce this opacity. MoHUA, all State Urban Development Agencies, and every Urban Local Body are public authorities under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, and their records — fund releases, DPR approvals, contractor contracts, work progress certificates, and water audit reports — are fully disclosable.

Important distinction: AMRUT is separate from the Smart Cities Mission, though both are administered by MoHUA. RTI about Smart City projects should be directed to the respective city's Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) or MoHUA's Smart Cities Mission division — not the AMRUT division.

What Can You Achieve with RTI for AMRUT?

AMRUT generates a substantial and structured paper trail at every level — from DPR submission to fund release to work completion certificates to water audit reports. This makes RTI particularly effective for citizens, journalists, and local activists who want accountability on specific projects.

Verify state-wise fund releases and utilisation. AMRUT is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme funded on a 50:50 ratio between the Centre and states (with some variation for smaller states and UTs). MoHUA releases Central funds in tranches against utilisation certificates submitted by states. RTI to MoHUA can reveal the exact amount released to each state and the amount utilised as reported — exposing states that have received funds but show poor physical progress.

Track project completion status for your city. Each AMRUT city has an approved project list with specific water supply and sewerage projects. RTI to the ULB or State Urban Development Agency can reveal which projects are complete, which are under execution, which are stalled, and which have not started despite years of sanction.

Scrutinise contractor appointments and work progress. AMRUT projects are tendered and contracted by ULBs. RTI can disclose the contractor's name, the contract amount, the award date, the scheduled and actual completion date, and the amount paid against certified work. Where delays have occurred, RTI can reveal whether penalty clauses were invoked and whether any contract has been terminated.

Obtain DPR approval status and conditions. Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) submitted by ULBs go through technical scrutiny before MoHUA approval. RTI can reveal the timeline of DPR submission and approval, any conditions attached to approval, and observations raised by the State-Level Technical Committee or MoHUA's empanelled agencies — showing whether a delayed project was foreseeable from the DPR scrutiny stage itself.

Access water audit reports. AMRUT 2.0 mandates annual water audits by ULBs to track water production, distribution losses, and non-revenue water (NRW). These reports are submitted to MoHUA. RTI can surface the actual NRW figures reported by your city — a key indicator of infrastructure efficiency or leakage — and compare them against the targets set in the approved DPR.

Confirm sewerage network coverage data. A core AMRUT 2.0 target is to provide sewerage connections to all households in AMRUT cities. RTI can extract the baseline coverage when the scheme started for your city, the target set, and the progress reported to MoHUA — enabling a fact-based challenge to optimistic official numbers.

Where to File: The Right Authority

AMRUT's layered structure means the right RTI target depends on the type of information you seek.

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs / AMRUT Mission Directorate (New Delhi)
  — Central policy, DPR approvals, fund release to states, national-level progress
        ↓
State Urban Development Department / State-Level Technical Committee (SLTC)
  — State allocation, DPR scrutiny, state-level contractor empanelment, reporting to Centre
        ↓
Urban Local Body (ULB) / Municipal Corporation / Town Municipal Council
  — Project execution, contractor appointments, works, water audit, sewerage connections

File with the CPIO, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (rtionline.gov.in) for:

• State-wise fund release and utilisation data reported to the Centre
• DPR approval status and approval conditions for specific projects
• Scheme guidelines, operational and financial sanction norms
• National-level progress reports and AMRUT city rankings
• Water audit data compiled at the national level

File with the CPIO of the Urban Local Body (ULB) / Municipal Corporation for:

• Project-level work progress and physical completion status
• Contractor name, contract value, and payment records
• Individual site inspection reports and quality check records
• Sewerage connection data at ward or zone level
• Local water audit records and non-revenue water figures
• DPR prepared by the ULB before submission to the state

File with the State Urban Development Department / SLTC for:

• State-level DPR scrutiny records and SLTC recommendations
• State allocation of AMRUT funds to individual ULBs
• State utilisation certificates submitted to MoHUA
• State-level monitoring and review reports

Note on ULB RTIs: ULBs are state-level public authorities. Their RTI applications must be filed through the respective state's RTI portal or by post to the ULB's designated PIO, not through rtionline.gov.in (which covers only Central Government public authorities). The second appeal for ULB RTIs goes to the relevant State Information Commission (SIC), not to the CIC.

How to File: Step by Step

Step 1 — Identify the right public authority and CPIO. For MoHUA, the CPIO details are available at mohua.gov.in and the authority is selectable on rtionline.gov.in. For ULBs, each municipal corporation or town council designates its own PIO — check the ULB's official website or the state Urban Development Department's PIO list.

Step 2 — Collect reference details. Before drafting the application, note the name of the AMRUT city, the state, and any project-specific reference numbers you may have — for example, a project ID from AMRUT's online Management Information System (MIS) at amrut.gov.in, or a DPR reference number from a public notice. The more specific your identifiers, the harder it is for the CPIO to give a vague response.

Step 3 — Draft your application under Section 6. Your application must be written or electronic, addressed to the CPIO, and must specify the information sought. You are not required to state reasons. Use the sample RTI draft in this guide as a starting point, replacing the bracketed placeholders with your specific details. Keep each question precise — "the total amount released by MoHUA to State under AMRUT 2.0 for FY 2023-24 and the utilisation certificate submitted against the same" is more enforceable than "details of funds given to the state."

Step 4 — Pay the ₹10 fee and submit. For MoHUA (Central), file at rtionline.gov.in and pay ₹10 online. For ULBs, use the state RTI portal if available, or submit a physical application by registered post or hand delivery to the ULB's PIO, with ₹10 via Indian Postal Order or court fee stamp (depending on state rules). BPL cardholders are fully exempt from the fee — attach a copy of the BPL card with the application. Keep the acknowledgement receipt and payment reference number.

Step 5 — Track and escalate if needed. The CPIO must respond within 30 days under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act. Track online applications on rtionline.gov.in. If there is no response, the response is incomplete, or the information is denied without valid reason under Section 8:

• First Appeal (Section 19(1)): File with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at the same public authority within 30 days of the date of decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. The FAA must decide within 30 days (extendable to 45 days).
• Second Appeal (Section 19(3)): If the FAA's response is unsatisfactory or absent, file a second appeal within 90 days of the FAA's decision or non-receipt:
  • If filed with MoHUA (Central Government): Second Appeal to the Central Information Commission (CIC).
  • If filed with a ULB or State Urban Development Agency: Second Appeal to the State Information Commission (SIC) of the relevant state.
• Under Section 20, the CIC or SIC can impose a penalty of ₹250 per day (up to ₹25,000) on a CPIO who fails to respond without reasonable cause.

What Specific Information Can You Ask For?

Fund release and utilisation:

1. State-wise funds released by MoHUA under AMRUT 2.0 for FY 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 — sanctioned amount, amount released, and utilisation certificate amount reported for named state
2. Whether any utilisation certificate submitted by named state/ULB was found deficient or rejected, and if so, the specific deficiency noted
3. Component-wise breakdown of funds allocated to named ULB under AMRUT 2.0 — water supply versus sewerage/septage management versus other components

Project completion status: 4. Total number of AMRUT 2.0 projects sanctioned for named city/ULB — with a list of project names, sanction dates, and current status (complete / under execution / not started) 5. For projects reported as complete: the date of final completion certificate, the certifying authority, and whether the project has been handed over and commissioned 6. For projects under execution: the scheduled completion date per the original DPR, the revised completion date (if any), and the reasons for any extension of time granted

Contractor details and contract performance: 7. Name, registered address, and contact of the contractor(s) for named project/ULB, the contract number, contract amount, and date of award 8. Total amount paid to the contractor as on the date of this RTI against the work certified as complete, and the balance work remaining 9. Whether any show-cause notice, penalty notice, or contractual action has been initiated against the contractor for delay or poor quality work — and the outcome of such action

DPR approval: 10. Date on which the DPR for named project was submitted by ULB/State to MoHUA, the date it was placed before the State-Level Technical Committee (SLTC), the SLTC's recommendation, and the date and conditions of final approval by MoHUA 11. Whether any DPR submitted by named ULB was rejected or sent back for revision — and the reasons recorded by the approving authority 12. Copy of the approved DPR for named project including the technical specifications, cost estimate, and implementation schedule

Water audit and sewerage coverage: 13. Copy of the water audit report submitted by named ULB to MoHUA under AMRUT 2.0 for the last two financial years — including total water produced, total water billed, non-revenue water percentage, and the action plan submitted to address NRW 14. Sewerage network coverage in named city as reported to MoHUA — baseline coverage percentage at scheme launch, the AMRUT 2.0 target, and coverage achieved as on the date of this RTI 15. Number of individual sewerage connections provided under AMRUT 2.0 in named city as on the date of this RTI, compared to the target set in the approved DPR

Appeals Structure at a Glance

First Appeals must be filed within 30 days of the date of decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable (Section 19(1)). Second Appeals must be filed within 90 days of the FAA order or non-receipt (Section 19(3)).

RTI works best when combined with other accountability tools. Once you have the RTI response, escalate findings to the AMRUT Mission Directorate at amrut.gov.in, file a complaint on the Central Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System at pgportal.gov.in, or raise the issue with your state's Urban Development Department. Where a contractor is named and delayed, the RTI response itself becomes documentary evidence for a formal complaint to the ULB's Vigilance or Anti-Corruption cell.