How to File RTI with PGCIL for Transmission Line Project Details — Compensation, Right of Way, Environmental Clearance and Route Maps

Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), popularly known as Powergrid, is India's principal electric power transmission company and a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Power. The Government of India holds a majority equity stake in PGCIL, making it a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005 and fully obligated to respond to RTI applications. PGCIL builds, owns, and operates the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) — the national grid of high-voltage transmission lines (765 kV, 400 kV, and 220 kV) and substations that carries electricity across state boundaries and supplies regional load despatch centres across India.

Every high-voltage transmission line built by PGCIL traverses hundreds of kilometres of agricultural and private land. Instead of acquiring land outright, PGCIL typically secures a Right of Way (RoW) — a permanent easement over a strip of land beneath and alongside the transmission line corridor — in exchange for a one-time compensation payment. This RoW strip imposes lasting restrictions on how the landowner can use that portion of their land: no permanent structures can be built within the corridor, certain trees cannot be grown to heights that breach statutory clearances, and borewell sinking within the RoW may be restricted. Landowners are often uncertain about whether the compensation rate they received was correct, what the RoW agreement actually permits or prohibits, and whether their obligations are legally enforceable.

The RTI Act, 2005 gives every citizen the right to obtain this information from PGCIL. This guide explains what information landowners and affected communities can seek, which PGCIL office to approach, how to file the application, and how to escalate if the response is inadequate.

Corporate CPIO vs. Regional Transmission Unit: Which CPIO to Approach

PGCIL operates through five Regional Transmission Units (RTUs), each responsible for transmission infrastructure in its geographic zone:

• Northern Regional Transmission Unit (NRTU) — Gurugram, Haryana (covers Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand)
• Southern Regional Transmission Unit (SRTU) — Bengaluru, Karnataka (covers Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Puducherry)
• Eastern Regional Transmission Unit (ERTU) — Kolkata, West Bengal (covers Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Sikkim, West Bengal)
• Western Regional Transmission Unit (WRTU) — Mumbai, Maharashtra (covers Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra)
• North-Eastern Regional Transmission Unit (NeRTU) — Shillong, Meghalaya (covers the eight northeastern states)

File with the Regional Transmission Unit CPIO for project-specific queries: RoW compensation paid in your village or district, the route alignment and tower positions for a specific transmission line, tower erection status, forest clearance conditions for the line in your area, or a local safety compliance record. The RTU is the operational office that holds field-level project records.

File with the Corporate CPIO at 'Saudamini', Plot No. 2, Sector-29, Gurgaon – 122001, Haryana for company-wide policy matters: PGCIL's standard RoW compensation policy, the standard RoW agreement template used across all projects, PGCIL's environmental policy framework, or board-approved capital expenditure for a transmission project.

If you are unsure which office holds the information, file with the Corporate CPIO. Under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act, any CPIO who does not hold the relevant information must transfer the application to the CPIO of the concerned office within five days, with written intimation to you. Your 30-day response clock restarts from the date the transferred application is received by the correct CPIO.

Information You Can Seek from PGCIL

Right of Way Compensation and Agreement Terms

The RoW compensation paid by PGCIL to landowners is governed by the Ministry of Power's standardised guidelines and PGCIL's internal compensation policy, which are revised periodically. Landowners frequently receive inadequate or incorrect payments because they were unaware of the applicable rate or because the calculation was not transparent.

Through RTI, you can obtain:

• The RoW compensation rate (per metre of corridor width, per hectare, or per bigha as applicable) prescribed for your state and district for the voltage level of the transmission line traversing your land
• Whether PGCIL applied a standardised Ministry of Power rate or a project-specific rate for your line — and the approved document establishing that rate
• The payment record for your specific survey or khasra number — the amount determined and the date(s) of disbursement
• Whether any one-time crop compensation or annual crop-damage payment has been committed or paid for your land parcel
• The standard RoW Agreement template used by PGCIL — the clauses governing RoW corridor width, permitted land uses within the corridor, restrictions imposed on the landowner, and the dispute resolution mechanism available to landowners
• Whether the RoW Agreement for the line covering your land was executed and, if so, its date and reference number

Project Environmental Clearance and Forest Diversion

High-voltage transmission lines of significant length, particularly those passing through ecologically sensitive areas, may require prior Environmental Clearance under the EIA Notification, 2006. Lines passing through reserved forests or wildlife sanctuaries require forest diversion approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Both clearances carry conditions that PGCIL must comply with throughout construction and operation.

You can ask for:

• Whether an Environmental Clearance was obtained for the transmission line and, if so, a certified copy of the EC letter with all conditions
• Whether forest diversion approval was obtained for any segment of the transmission line passing through forest land — the diversion order, the compensatory afforestation conditions, and the compliance status
• The latest annual compliance report or environmental monitoring report submitted by PGCIL to MoEFCC in respect of the EC conditions for the project
• Any show-cause notices, directions, or penalties issued by MoEFCC, CPCB, or the relevant State Pollution Control Board in connection with the project

Transmission Line Route Map and Survey Details

The approved route alignment and route survey maps are public documents that PGCIL is not entitled to withhold from landowners. These maps show the precise location of the RoW corridor, the tower positions, and the affected villages, tehsils, and survey numbers.

You can ask for:

• A copy of the final approved route alignment map for the transmission line, showing tower positions, RoW corridor width, and affected villages and districts
• The list of villages and survey or khasra numbers through which the RoW corridor passes in your district
• The route survey report or alignment study report for the project, specifically the section relevant to your district
• Whether any route deviation or realignment was made after the initial survey in your area — and if yes, the reason for deviation and the date of approval of the revised alignment

Tower Erection Status, Completion Timeline, and Safety Clearance Norms

Landowners whose land falls under a completed or under-construction transmission line frequently face uncertainty about project timelines and about the safety distances required around high-voltage towers. These are matters of public safety regulated by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) under the Electricity Act, 2003.

You can ask for:

• The number of towers to be erected and the number erected as on a specified date in your district or sub-section of the line
• The approved project commissioning timeline and the current revised schedule
• Whether any tower erection locations in your village are stalled due to land disputes, consent issues, or court orders — and the current status of each
• The statutory minimum safety clearance distance (vertical clearance above ground and above permanent structures) applicable to the voltage level of the transmission line, as prescribed under the Central Electricity Authority (Measures Relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations
• Whether PGCIL has conducted a safety inspection of the erected towers in your village and the results of that inspection
• Whether any complaints from residents about electromagnetic interference, health concerns, or safety clearance non-compliance have been received and the action taken

How to File Your RTI Application

File your RTI online at rtionline.gov.in:

1. Register or log in with your mobile number or email address
2. Select Ministry: Ministry of Power
3. Select Public Authority: choose Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (for the Corporate CPIO) or the specific Regional Transmission Unit if listed separately on the portal
4. Write your application in the text box or attach a PDF if the application is lengthy; include the transmission line name, voltage level, district, and your survey or khasra number clearly in the text
5. Pay the fee of ₹10 online (net banking, debit card, UPI)
6. Save the registration number for tracking

BPL cardholders are exempt from the application fee — attach a copy of your BPL card with the application.

Alternative — postal or in-person filing: You may also send a written application by post to the CPIO at the Regional Transmission Unit address or the Corporate Office address above, enclosing a demand draft or postal order of ₹10 drawn in favour of "Power Grid Corporation of India Limited." Retain a copy of the application and the postal dispatch receipt.

Appeals

First Appeal — Section 19(1)

If the CPIO does not respond within 30 days of receipt of your application, or if the response is incomplete, incorrect, or evasive, file a First Appeal with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at the same PGCIL office under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act, 2005. The First Appeal must be filed within 30 days of the date of decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. The FAA is typically a senior officer at the relevant Regional Transmission Unit or at the Corporate Office.

If the information sought relates to safety — for instance, a risk of collapse of an improperly erected tower, or non-compliance with safety clearance distances posing imminent danger to residents — this involves the life or liberty of persons, and the CPIO is required to furnish the information within 48 hours under the proviso to Section 7(1) of the RTI Act. Failure to do so within 48 hours is immediate grounds for a First Appeal.

Second Appeal — Section 19(3)

If the FAA does not respond within 30 days, or the response remains unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC) under Section 19(3) within 90 days. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited is a Central Government PSU under the Ministry of Power — all second appeals go to the CIC, not any State Information Commission. The CIC has the authority under Section 20 to impose a penalty of ₹250 per day (up to ₹25,000) on the CPIO for unjustified denial or delay in furnishing information.

Both the First Appeal and the Second Appeal can be filed online at rtionline.gov.in.