The IMIS portal (imis.gov.in) already shows my name in the beneficiary list. When do I still need to file an RTI?

The IMIS portal provides a useful first check — it shows beneficiary names, toilet construction status, and payment details that the government has entered. However, IMIS data is only as accurate as what the Gram Panchayat or Block has entered. RTI is useful in several situations even when IMIS has your name: (1) IMIS shows payment released but you have not received the money — an RTI asking for the payment transaction reference, account number credited, and date of transfer creates an official record of the discrepancy; (2) IMIS shows construction not reported despite you having built the toilet — RTI establishes whether the GP ever submitted a completion report; (3) you want a certified copy of the beneficiary list entry for use in a court or grievance forum — IMIS printouts are not certified copies; (4) IMIS does not show your name at all — RTI directly asks the GP why you were excluded from the beneficiary list. In short, IMIS tells you what the system records say; RTI gets you the official paper trail and forces an explanation when the records are wrong.

I have built a toilet but the ₹12,000 incentive has not been received. What RTI questions pinpoint the cause?

The SBM-G incentive of ₹12,000 is released in instalments after verification by the Gram Panchayat. The delay can be at any of several points: the GP not recording the toilet as constructed, the Block not releasing funds to the GP, the District not forwarding Central or state funds, or a bank/payment processing issue. File RTI with the Gram Panchayat or Block Development Office and ask: (1) whether the household's toilet has been recorded as constructed and verified by the GP — if yes, the date of verification and the verifying official; (2) whether a claim was submitted to the Block for release of the first and second instalments — if yes, on which date; (3) the bank account number and IFSC code recorded against this household for incentive transfer — this checks whether your correct bank details are in the system; (4) the date on which the Block/District released the incentive to the GP and the transaction reference. These questions identify the exact layer at which the payment is stuck, allowing you to file a targeted follow-up RTI or grievance at that level.

Our village was declared ODF but open defecation is still happening. How does RTI establish whether the ODF declaration was genuine?

RTI is directly useful here. An ODF declaration under SBM-G is supposed to be based on physical verification, social audit, and community confirmation that no household in the village practices open defecation. Through RTI, ask the Gram Panchayat or District/Block office for: (1) the date and basis of the ODF declaration — specifically, whether a household survey was conducted and who conducted it; (2) whether a social audit or third-party verification was done before the declaration — if yes, the date, the name of the agency, and a copy of the verification report; (3) the list of households in the village that were found to be without toilets at the time of declaration, and whether each has since been addressed; (4) whether any complaint about premature ODF declaration in this village has been received and the action taken. The RTI response will either produce the documentation showing a legitimate declaration — or the absence of any such documentation, which is itself evidence that the declaration was made without proper verification. This can form the basis of a complaint to the District Collector, the State Sanitation Mission, or the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

How do I know whether to file for SBM-G (rural) or SBM-U (urban) — and does the RTI process differ?

The distinction is simple: SBM-G (Swachh Bharat Mission — Gramin) covers rural areas — villages and Gram Panchayat territories — and is implemented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation) at the Central level. SBM-U (Swachh Bharat Mission — Urban) covers municipal areas — towns, cities, and municipal corporation wards — and is implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs at the Central level. To identify which applies to you: if your address falls in a Gram Panchayat area (rural), it is SBM-G; if it falls within a Municipal Corporation, Municipality, or Town Panchayat, it is SBM-U. For RTI purposes: for SBM-G, file with the Gram Panchayat or Block Development Officer; the second appeal for state/GP bodies goes to your State Information Commission, and for the Ministry of Jal Shakti it goes to the CIC. For SBM-U, file with the local Urban Local Body (Municipal Corporation/Municipality) or the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; second appeal for Municipal bodies goes to your State Information Commission, and for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs it goes to the CIC. Do not file under SBM-G with a municipal body or vice versa — the schemes are separate with different implementing agencies and fund flows.

What do I do if the Gram Panchayat or Block Development Officer does not respond to my RTI within 30 days?

If the PIO (Gram Panchayat or Block Development Office) does not respond within 30 days of the date your application was received, you have two options under the RTI Act, 2005. First, file a First Appeal with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at the same level — typically the Panchayat Development Officer or the Sub-Divisional Officer, as designated — within 30 days of the expiry of the 30-day response period, under Section 19(1). Second, if the FAA also does not respond or gives an unsatisfactory response, file a Second Appeal with your State Information Commission (SIC) under Section 19(3) within 90 days. For SBM-G RTIs filed with the Gram Panchayat or Block Development Officer, the second appeal goes to the SIC — not the CIC — because the GP and BDO are state public authorities. The SIC can direct the PIO to provide the information and can impose a penalty of up to ₹25,000 on the PIO under Section 20 for failure to respond without reasonable cause. Keep a copy of your RTI application, proof of delivery or submission, and all correspondence for use in the appeal.

Home/Guides/How to File RTI for Swachh Bharat Mission — Toilet Incentive, ODF Village and Fund Utilisation

Central Government

How to File RTI for Swachh Bharat Mission — Toilet Incentive, ODF Village and Fund Utilisation

Step-by-step guide to file an RTI for Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G) toilet construction incentive non-payment, beneficiary list status, ODF (Open Defecation Free) village declaration basis, fund utilisation by Gram Panchayat, and community toilet block contractor details. File with Gram Panchayat/Block/District (State SIC) or Ministry of Jal Shakti (CIC). Includes a ready-to-use sample RTI draft.

Updated 24 May 2026

Quick Facts

MinistryMinistry of Jal Shakti

Address RTI ToCPIO, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Fourth Floor, Pandit Deendayal Antyodaya Bhavan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110003 / PIO, Gram Panchayat / Block Development Officer / District Collector (relevant state)

Application Fee₹10 under RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. Free for BPL cardholders.

Response Time30 days from receipt (Section 7(1), RTI Act 2005). 48 hours if the matter involves life or liberty.

File Online Athttps://rtionline.gov.in

All information on this page is based on the Right to Information Act, 2005 (Act No. 22 of 2005) and the RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. First Appeal: Section 19(1). Second Appeal to CIC/SIC: Section 19(3).

Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), or SBM-G, is a Central Government scheme aimed at achieving universal sanitation coverage in rural India. It provides a monetary incentive of ₹12,000 to eligible rural households — primarily BPL, SC/ST, and identified APL families — for the construction of household toilets. The scheme is administered by the Ministry of Jal Shakti (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation) at the Central level and implemented through a chain of state governments, district administrations, Block Development Offices, and Gram Panchayats.

Each of these implementing bodies — the Gram Panchayat, Block Development Office, District Collector's office, State government department, and the Ministry of Jal Shakti — is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005 and is obligated to furnish information on request. RTI is a powerful tool for beneficiaries who have not received their toilet incentive, for citizens questioning the basis of an ODF village declaration, and for anyone seeking to understand how SBM-G funds were utilised at the Gram Panchayat level.

Check the IMIS Portal Before Filing RTI

Before drafting an RTI, visit imis.gov.in — the Integrated Management Information System for SBM-G. The portal makes significant beneficiary and payment data publicly available, including:

State-wise and district-wise beneficiary counts and toilet construction progress
Beneficiary names and payment status (in many states)
ODF village declarations by state and district

Checking IMIS first helps you frame a more targeted RTI. If IMIS shows your name as a beneficiary but shows payment as released and you have not received it, your RTI question becomes specific — asking for the transaction reference and account details. If IMIS does not show your name at all, your RTI asks directly why you were excluded from the beneficiary list.

RTI supplements the IMIS portal — it gets you certified copies, forces an explanation for gaps in the data, and creates an official paper trail when the records appear inaccurate.

SBM-G Implementation Structure

Level	Body	Role	RTI Filed With	Second Appeal
Central	Ministry of Jal Shakti (Dept. of Drinking Water & Sanitation)	Policy, fund release to states, national MIS	CPIO, Ministry of Jal Shakti (rtionline.gov.in)	Central Information Commission (CIC)
State	State Sanitation Mission / State Rural Development Dept.	State-level fund release, monitoring, ODF oversight	State PIO	State Information Commission (SIC)
District	District Collector / District Water & Sanitation Mission	District planning, fund disbursement to Blocks	District PIO	State Information Commission (SIC)
Block	Block Development Officer (BDO)	Fund release to GPs, beneficiary verification oversight	BDO / Block PIO	State Information Commission (SIC)
Gram Panchayat	Gram Panchayat / Gram Pradhan	Beneficiary enrolment, toilet verification, payment claims, ODF declaration	GP PIO / Gram Pradhan	State Information Commission (SIC)

For most household-level complaints — incentive not received, beneficiary list queries, ODF declaration — start with the Gram Panchayat or Block Development Officer. The second appeal for all state and local bodies goes to your State Information Commission (SIC), not the CIC.

Common RTI Use Cases

Issue	What to Ask	What to Expect
Incentive not received despite building toilet	Whether household is on beneficiary list; GP's verification record; instalment release date and transaction reference	Identifies whether delay is at GP, Block, or District level
Not enrolled as a beneficiary	Whether household's application was received; reason for exclusion from list; eligibility criteria applied	Reveals whether application was lost or household was deemed ineligible
ODF declaration questioned	Date and basis of ODF declaration; social audit report; list of households verified	Presence or absence of verification documents
Fund utilisation by GP	Total SBM-G funds received by the GP in a financial year; funds disbursed as household incentives; utilisation certificate	Shows whether funds were used as reported
Community toilet block	Contractor name, tendering process, contract amount, completion date, maintenance responsibility	Accountability for public infrastructure
Complaint about fake entries	Whether specific complaints were received; action taken	Establishes whether the authority is aware and whether it acted

Where to File

For Gram Panchayat / Block / District level issues: File through your state's RTI portal or submit a written application to the PIO of the relevant office directly (hand-deliver with acknowledgement, or send by registered post). Gram Panchayats across India are designated public authorities under the RTI Act and must have a designated PIO — typically the Gram Secretary or Panchayat Development Officer.

For Ministry of Jal Shakti (policy information, Central fund release data, Ministry-level queries): File at rtionline.gov.in → select Ministry of Jal Shakti → Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

What Specific Information Can You Ask For?

Beneficiary status and enrolment:

Whether the household of Name at Village, GP, Block, District is enrolled as an SBM-G beneficiary — if yes, the beneficiary ID and date of enrolment; if no, the reason for exclusion
The complete beneficiary list for Gram Panchayat Name under SBM-G, including names, household IDs, and enrolment dates

Instalment payment: 3. Whether the first and second instalments of the ₹12,000 toilet incentive have been released for Beneficiary Name / ID — date of release, amount, transaction reference, and account details if transferred electronically 4. If any instalment has not been released, the specific reason and the stage at which the payment is held (GP, Block, District, or State)

Construction and verification: 5. Whether the Gram Panchayat has recorded the toilet at Household Address as constructed and verified — the date of verification and the name/designation of the verifying official

ODF declaration: 6. The date and basis of the ODF declaration for Village / Gram Panchayat — whether a social audit or community verification preceded the declaration; a copy of the ODF verification/declaration report

Fund utilisation: 7. Total SBM-G funds received by GP Name from Block/District during financial year XXXX-XX and the utilisation certificate submitted — broken down by household incentives and community toilet block expenditure

Community toilet block: 8. Name of the contractor engaged for community toilet block construction in Village / GP, the contract value, the tendering process followed, the scheduled and actual completion date, and the current functional status

Complaints: 9. Whether any complaint regarding non-construction of toilets, fake beneficiary entries, or misutilisation of SBM-G funds in Village / GP has been received by this office — the date, nature, and action taken

Appeals

First Appeal (Section 19(1)): If the PIO does not respond within 30 days or gives an unsatisfactory response, file a First Appeal with the First Appellate Authority at the same level within 30 days of the date of decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. For a GP, the FAA is typically the Panchayat Development Officer or Sub-Divisional Officer; for the Block, it is the Sub-Divisional Officer or a designated senior officer.

Second Appeal (Section 19(3)): If the First Appellate Authority also fails to respond or the response remains unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal within 90 days:

State Information Commission (SIC) — for RTIs filed with the Gram Panchayat, Block Development Office, District office, or State government department (these are state public authorities)
Central Information Commission (CIC) — for RTIs filed with the Ministry of Jal Shakti directly

The SIC and CIC can direct the PIO to provide information and, under Section 20 of the RTI Act, can impose a penalty of up to ₹25,000 on a PIO who fails to respond without reasonable cause.

Sample RTI Application Draft

To,
The Public Information Officer (PIO),
[Block Development Officer's Office / Gram Panchayat Office]
[Block / Village Name, District, State]

Subject: Application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 — Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) — Toilet Construction Incentive, Beneficiary List, and Fund Utilisation

Sir/Madam,

I, [Your Full Name], residing at [House No. / Mohalla, Village, Gram Panchayat, Block, District, State], submit this application under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005, to seek the following information relating to the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) scheme:

Household / applicant details:
  Name of beneficiary / household: [Full Name]
  Village: [Village Name]
  Gram Panchayat: [GP Name]
  Block: [Block Name]
  District: [District Name]
  State: [State Name]
  SBM-G Beneficiary ID / Application Number (if known): [ID / Not known]

Information sought:

1. Whether the household of [Full Name], residing at [Village, GP, Block, District], is listed as a beneficiary under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) scheme in the records of this Gram Panchayat / Block — if yes, the beneficiary list entry number or ID and the date on which the household was enrolled.

2. The instalment-wise payment status for the toilet construction incentive of ₹12,000 for the above household — specifically:
   (a) Whether the first instalment has been released — if yes, the date of release, amount, and mode of payment (bank transfer / post office);
   (b) Whether the second instalment has been released — if yes, the date of release, amount, and mode of payment;
   (c) If either instalment has not been released, the specific reason and the stage at which payment is held.

3. Whether the Gram Panchayat has reported the toilet at [Household Address] as constructed and verified in its records or in the IMIS portal — if yes, the date of reporting and the name/designation of the official who recorded or verified the construction.

4. The basis of ODF (Open Defecation Free) declaration for [Village / GP Name] — specifically:
   (a) The date on which the village / GP was declared ODF;
   (b) Whether a social audit or community verification was conducted prior to declaration — if yes, the date and the name of the agency or authority that conducted it;
   (c) A copy or certified extract of the ODF declaration report or verification certificate.

5. The total funds released to [GP Name] Gram Panchayat under SBM-G during the financial year(s) [XXXX-XX] / [XXXX-XX] — broken down by (a) household toilet incentives paid, (b) community toilet block construction, and (c) any other head — along with details of the utilisation certificate submitted.

6. Whether any complaint regarding fake beneficiary entries, non-construction of toilet, or misappropriation of SBM-G funds in [Village / GP] has been received by this office — if yes, the date of complaint, the nature of complaint, and the action taken.

[Note: For Ministry of Jal Shakti enquiries, address to — CPIO, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Fourth Floor, Pandit Deendayal Antyodaya Bhavan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110003, and file at rtionline.gov.in.]

I am enclosing the application fee of Rs. 10 [via online payment; Reference No.: [Payment Ref] / by Indian Postal Order / cash, as applicable].

I request the above information within 30 days as required under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Full Name]
[Your Complete Address]
Phone: [Your 10-digit Mobile Number]
Email: [[email protected]]
Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]

Replace all text in [square brackets] with your actual details before filing. Do not include the brackets in your submission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Rather have us file it for you?

We research your case, identify the right department, draft the RTI with proven language, and file it on your behalf. Pay ₹149 + GST only after we've done the work.

File RTI — it's free to start