RTI for Telangana Directorate of Mines and Geology — Sand Mining, Limestone, Granite and SCCL Coal Records

Telangana, carved out of undivided Andhra Pradesh on 2 June 2014, inherited both a rich mineral endowment and the complex regulatory legacy of one of India's most mining-active states. The state's geology delivers limestone that feeds major cement plants, granite with a global export reputation, river sand that drives one of the country's most notorious illegal mining economies, and — most distinctively — the coal of the Godavari Coalfield, mined for nearly 140 years by the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL). The institutions responsible for administering these mineral resources — the Directorate of Mines and Geology, Hyderabad, the District Mines Officers across Telangana's thirty-three districts, and SCCL itself — hold information of enormous public interest: who holds mining leases, how much royalty is being paid to the state, whether mines are operating within environmental clearance conditions, whether the DMF corpus is reaching mining-affected communities, and what the enforcement record against illegal mining actually looks like. The Right to Information Act, 2005 makes all of this information legally accessible to every citizen. This guide explains what RTI can unlock from Telangana's mining authorities, how to file an effective application, and how to pursue redress all the way to the Telangana State Information Commission (TSIC) if officials fail to respond.

The Regulatory Framework for Mining in Telangana

The MMDR Act, 1957 and the Central-State Divide

Mineral development in India operates under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act), a central legislation that establishes the overarching framework for mining lease grants, royalty rates, safety, and environmental conditions. The MMDR Amendment Act, 2015 introduced three significant changes that are directly relevant to RTI applicants in Telangana: first, it mandated auction-based allotment of mining leases (replacing the earlier discretionary first-come-first-served system); second, it established the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) under Section 9B, requiring lessees to contribute a percentage of royalty to a community welfare fund in each mining-affected district; and third, it created the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) to finance exploration.

While the MMDR Act is central legislation, the state governments are the primary licensing, royalty-collecting, and enforcement authorities for major minerals (other than coal, lignite, atomic minerals, and petroleum, which are reserved for the Union). The Government of Telangana, through the Department of Mines and Geology, is responsible for granting mining leases, collecting royalties, inspecting mines, and taking enforcement action against illegal mining for major and minor minerals other than coal within the state.

Coal — the dominant mineral by value in Telangana — is technically a centrally regulated mineral under the MMDR Act, but SCCL's unique joint venture structure (51% Telangana, 49% GoI) means that for RTI and accountability purposes, SCCL is treated as a Telangana state body.

Telangana Directorate of Mines and Geology

The Directorate of Mines and Geology, Government of Telangana, headquartered at Panagal Buildings, Masab Tank, Hyderabad — 500004, is the technical arm of the Department of Mines and Geology. The Director of Mines and Geology heads the Directorate and is assisted by Additional Directors, Deputy Directors, and Assistant Directors for different mineral zones and functions. The Directorate:

• Maintains the statewide register of mining leases (active, lapsed, cancelled, surrendered).
• Receives and processes applications for new mining leases and renewals.
• Compiles mineral production statistics from lessees' monthly and annual returns.
• Administers the DMF in coordination with District Collectors for non-coal minerals.
• Issues directions to District Mines Officers on policy implementation.
• Coordinates with the state Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) and MoEFCC on environmental clearance conditions.

District Mines Officers (DMOs)

At the district level, District Mines Officers (DMOs) are the frontline regulatory officers under the Directorate. DMOs across Telangana's districts handle:

• Day-to-day oversight of operating mines in their jurisdiction.
• Processing of quarry lease applications for minor minerals (sand, stone, gravel, clay, etc.).
• Conducting routine inspections and surprise checks of mining sites.
• Receiving and investigating complaints of illegal mining.
• Maintaining production return records submitted by lessees.
• Issuing show cause notices, penalty orders, and seizure orders.
• Coordinating composite squad operations with Police and Revenue departments.

For RTI purposes, the DMO's office for the relevant district is often the best first point of filing for mine-specific, complaint-specific, or sand permit-specific information.

Post-Bifurcation Context

When Telangana was created in 2014, it inherited approximately half of undivided Andhra Pradesh's mining records, field offices, and regulatory infrastructure. The reorganisation of district boundaries (Telangana was subsequently reorganised from 10 to 33 districts in 2016, and further adjustments have been made since) has meant that some older mining records may be filed under the erstwhile district configuration. If you are seeking records from before 2016 bifurcation, you may need to file with the DMO of the newly constituted district or the Directorate, and reference the old district name.

Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL): History, Scale and RTI Significance

Origins and Growth

The Godavari Coalfield is one of the oldest coal-bearing formations in peninsular India and one of the very few Gondwana coalfields in the country's southern half. Coal was first commercially mined at Yellandu (now in Bhadradri Kothagudem district) in 1886 by the Hyderabad (Deccan) Company, a British colonial enterprise. The Singareni Collieries Company was incorporated in 1920 and passed under the control of the Nizam's Hyderabad State, then into Indian state hands after independence. The company grew steadily through successive nationalisation phases, and after Andhra Pradesh's formation in 1956, it operated as a joint venture between the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Government of India. Post-bifurcation, SCCL became a Telangana-controlled entity, with the Telangana government holding 51% equity and the central government holding 49%.

Godavari Coalfield Geography

The Godavari Coalfield stretches across the Pranhita-Godavari valley, a geological depression containing Permian-age coal seams of varying quality. SCCL's operational area spans approximately 350 square kilometres of lease blocks, concentrated in three belts:

• Kothagudem-Yellandu-Manuguru belt (Bhadradri Kothagudem district): The historic core of the coalfield; includes underground mines at Kothagudem, Yellandu, VK-7, GDK series, and opencast mines at Manuguru. This belt contains high-grade coking and non-coking coals.
• Godavarikhani (Ramagundam) belt (Peddapalli district, formerly Karimnagar): Home to the Ramagundam Area mines (RA series, GK series); coal supplied extensively to TSGENCO's Ramagundam Thermal Power Station and other plants.
• Bhupalpally belt (Jayashankar Bhupalpally district): Includes the Srirampur Area and several underground mines; partly overlaps with tribal (Scheduled Tribe) habitations.

Scale of Operations

SCCL is India's second-largest coal producer by output (after Coal India Ltd), with annual production hovering in the 60–70 million metric tonne range in recent years. The company operates over 50 mines — a mix of underground bord-and-pillar and longwall mines, and large opencast mines. It employs approximately 60,000 permanent employees and several thousand contract workers, making it the largest employer in the Kothagudem and Godavarikhani areas. SCCL maintains extensive mining townships — Kothagudem township, Yellandu, Manuguru, Godavarikhani, Padmavathipuram, and several area colonies — with schools, hospitals, and welfare amenities that function essentially as self-contained industrial communities.

Coal produced by SCCL is supplied to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh power utilities under long-term fuel supply agreements, as well as to industrial consumers (cement, sponge iron, textiles).

DMF and PMKKKY at SCCL

Under Section 9B of the MMDR Amendment Act, 2015, lessees must contribute to the DMF of each mining-affected district. For leases granted before 12 January 2015, the contribution is 33% of royalty; for leases granted after that date, the contribution is 10% of royalty. Given SCCL's enormous coal royalty payments to the state (thousands of crores annually), the DMF corpus in Bhadradri Kothagudem and Khammam districts is significant.

The PMKKKY (Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana) prescribes that at least 60% of DMF funds must be spent on "high priority" areas — drinking water, environment, healthcare, education, livelihood, and women and child development — directly benefiting mining-affected communities and Project Affected Persons (PAPs). The remaining 40% can be used for "other priority" areas including infrastructure.

For the thousands of families in Bhadradri Kothagudem and Khammam districts whose land, water, and air have been affected by decades of coal mining, RTI to the SCCL corporate office and to the DMF Governing Councils (chaired by the District Collectors) is a critical accountability tool: it can reveal whether the corpus is being utilised, for what projects, by which implementing agencies, and whether the actual PAP communities are receiving the intended benefits.

Limestone and the Telangana Cement Belt

Telangana hosts one of India's most productive limestone belts. The Nalgonda-Suryapet-Karimnagar arc contains thick, high-calcium limestone deposits formed from ancient marine sediments, and has attracted India's largest cement manufacturers. Plants operated by or associated with ACC (now part of Holcim India), UltraTech Cement, India Cements, Kesoram Cement, and Bharathi Cement are located in or near this belt, drawing on mining leases granted by the Directorate of Mines and Geology.

Limestone mining at the scale required for cement production raises significant environmental concerns: open-pit mines generate dust that affects nearby habitations; blasting causes ground vibration and noise; mine drainage can affect groundwater and surface water sources. The lease conditions attached to limestone mining grants — and the mine inspection reports by DMOs — are crucial accountability documents for communities living near cement plant quarries. RTI can obtain these documents, along with the royalty payment history and any penalty action for violations.

The state collects a statutory royalty on limestone at rates prescribed under the MMDR Act's Third Schedule (revised periodically by the central government). RTI requests for the royalty demand and payment records of specific limestone lessees are a basic transparency measure that journalism, research organisations, and civil society can use to assess whether major industrial groups are meeting their revenue obligations to the state.

Granite Quarrying: Global Reputation, Local Concerns

Telangana — particularly the Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy, and surrounding districts — produces granite that is internationally acclaimed. Telangana Black Granite (marketed globally as "Absolute Black" or "Black Galaxy," the latter from Nellore in AP but sometimes grouped in the South Indian black granite category) commands premium prices in the European and North American markets for countertops, flooring, and monumental stone. The export of granite from Telangana quarries earns significant foreign exchange.

However, the granite quarrying sector has long been associated with:

• Royalty evasion: Under-declaration of production quantities to reduce royalty liability, with the actual stone quarried and exported far exceeding declared volumes.
• Illegal quarrying: Extraction beyond lease boundaries, extraction on government or revenue land without a lease, and operation of quarries with expired leases.
• Environmental violations: Quarrying in ecologically sensitive areas, failure to comply with environmental clearance conditions, unauthorised water extraction for cutting and polishing.
• Labour and safety issues: Granite quarrying involves heavy cutting equipment and blasting; silica dust from granite cutting is a known occupational health hazard.

RTI to the DMOs in granite-heavy districts — requesting production returns, royalty records, inspection reports, and violation/penalty orders — can expose the gap between declared and actual production, and document whether enforcement is being conducted seriously.

Sand Mining: Crisis, Policy Chaos and the RTI Opportunity

The Scale of the Problem

Sand quarried from riverbeds is the critical raw material for the construction industry, and Telangana's boom in residential and commercial construction in Hyderabad and district headquarters has generated voracious demand. The Krishna river (flowing through Nalgonda, Krishna, and Suryapet districts) and the Godavari river (flowing through Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, and Karimnagar districts) are the primary sand sources. The scale of illegal extraction from these rivers has been extensively documented by courts, the NGT, and media investigations.

Illegal sand mining from these rivers is not merely a revenue loss issue — it is an environmental emergency. Excessive sand extraction:

• Lowers riverbed levels, which in turn causes river bank erosion and threatens bridges, barrages, and weirs built on river sand foundations.
• Disrupts aquatic ecosystems, destroying fish breeding habitats.
• Depletes groundwater recharge zones that depend on riverbed sand for filtration and percolation.
• Damages riparian agriculture by altering flood patterns.

Policy Oscillations

Since 2014, the Telangana government has tried multiple approaches to managing sand. At various points, the state has:

• Banned all private sand quarrying and introduced a Free Sand Policy, under which the state government itself operates extraction points and supplies sand free or at minimal cost to citizens (with contractors managing logistics).
• Allowed government-managed sand through the Telangana Sand Mining Management System (TSMMS).
• Faced court challenges from construction companies and contractors arguing supply disruption.
• Experienced significant enforcement failures, with the Telangana High Court and the National Green Tribunal issuing periodic directions on regulation and compliance.

This policy instability means that the RTI record on sand — permits issued, areas closed and opened, revenue collected, raids conducted — is particularly fragmented and valuable precisely because it is hard to reconstruct from public sources alone.

RTI and the Sand Mafia

The link between organised crime and sand mining in Telangana is well-documented. In several districts — particularly those on the Krishna and Godavari — sand extraction syndicates have operated with alleged complicity of enforcement officials, generating substantial illegal profits. RTI requests for FIR statistics (filed and dropped), composite squad raid records, seized vehicle inventories, and revenue collected from sand permits can help civil society and investigative journalists assess the true scale of illegal extraction relative to permitted volumes. Where the number of FIRs is disproportionately low relative to the documented scale of illegal activity in a district, this itself is an accountability signal worth pursuing through appeals.

Environmental Clearance and Compliance

Mining projects above the prescribed threshold (typically 5 hectares or production over specified quantities) require Environmental Clearance (EC) from either the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for Category A projects, or the Telangana State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (TSEIAA) for Category B projects. The environmental clearance contains conditions — dust suppression, groundwater monitoring, progressive reclamation, green belt maintenance — that the lessee must comply with and report on.

The Directorate of Mines and Geology holds:

• Records of whether a mining lease has a valid EC.
• Conditions attached to the EC that the department is responsible for monitoring.
• Compliance inspection reports where DMOs have verified EC condition compliance.
• Show cause notices and penalty orders issued to lessees for EC violations.

RTI can obtain these records. Where you suspect a mine is operating with an expired EC, or that DMOs are not inspecting mines against EC conditions, a targeted RTI to the relevant DMO — asking for the EC certificate on file, its expiry date, and the inspection reports — will produce documentary evidence.

For the MoEFCC-issued ECs and the monitoring data held by MoEFCC, a separate RTI to the CPIO of MoEFCC (Central Government — second appeal to CIC) or to the TSEIAA (state authority — second appeal to TSIC) may be needed.

What RTI Can Obtain from Telangana's Mining Authorities

From the Directorate of Mines and Geology (Hyderabad)

• State-level mining lease register: all active, lapsed, cancelled, or surrendered leases, mineral-wise and district-wise.
• Policy circulars, government orders, and administrative instructions on mining regulation.
• Aggregate mineral production statistics for any financial year.
• Auction records for leases granted through the e-auction route post-2015 amendment.
• Statewide royalty collection figures, mineral-wise.
• Inter-departmental correspondence on major lease grants, cancellations, or policy changes.
• DMF corpus figures aggregated across districts for non-coal minerals.

From the District Mines Officer (DMO), Relevant District

• Individual mining lease deeds, grant orders, renewal orders, and lease area maps for mines in that district.
• Royalty demand and payment records for specific lessees.
• Production returns submitted by lessees for specific mines.
• Inspection reports and visit reports by the Mine Inspector or Assistant Mines Officer.
• Sand quarrying permit records: names of permit holders, areas, permit periods, royalty collected.
• Illegal mining complaint registers, ATRs, and enforcement records including seizure orders and FIRs.
• Penalty and fine collection records.
• Composite squad raid logs (where maintained by the DMO).

From SCCL Corporate Office (Kothagudem)

• DMF contributions made district-wise for each financial year.
• PMKKKY project-wise expenditure, implementing agencies, beneficiary details.
• List of mining-affected villages and Project Affected Persons recognised by SCCL.
• Environment and water quality monitoring reports for SCCL mine areas.
• CSR expenditure reports covering mine township welfare activities.
• Production data, lease area maps for specific mines within the Godavari Coalfield.

Where to File Your RTI Application

Identifying the Correct Authority

For district-level sand, granite, or limestone mining records: File with the CPIO, District Mines Officer, relevant district. For sand on the Krishna river, this means the DMO of Nalgonda, Suryapet, or Krishna district (depending on the river reach). For Godavari sand, it means the DMO of Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, or Jayashankar Bhupalpally district.

For state-level statistics, lease register, or Directorate-held records: File with the CPIO, Directorate of Mines and Geology, Panagal Buildings, Hyderabad.

For SCCL coal and DMF records: File with the CPIO, SCCL Corporate Office, Kothagudem — 507101. SCCL also has separate Area offices (Kothagudem Area, Yellandu Area, Manuguru Area, Godavarikhani Area, Srirampur Area) where area-specific records may be held; file with the Area CPIO if the records relate to a specific area.

For DMF Governing Council records (project-wise expenditure, Governing Council meeting minutes): File with the CPIO, Office of the District Collector, Bhadradri Kothagudem or Khammam, as applicable — the Collector chairs the DMF Governing Council.

Using Section 6(3) transfer: If you are unsure whether the Directorate or the DMO holds the record, file with the Directorate. Under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act, if the information is not held there, the CPIO must transfer the application to the correct public authority within five days and inform you of the transfer.

Step-by-Step: Filing RTI with Telangana Mining Authorities

Step 1: Identify the Specific Information

Mining RTI applications succeed when they are specific. Before drafting your application, identify:

• The mine name, Mining Lease number, district, lessee name, and mineral.
• The financial year or date range for the records you need.
• The specific document type — lease deed, inspection report, royalty demand register, ATR, DMF project list.
• For sand: the specific river reach, the permit holder's name (if known), or the geographic area.

Vague requests — "provide all information about mines in Khammam district" — will yield either an unhelpful response or a blanket denial. Targeted, numbered requests produce usable records.

Step 2: Draft the Application

Use the sample RTI questions at the top of this guide as a starting point. Adapt them with specific mine names, lease numbers, districts, and date ranges. You can combine multiple related numbered questions in a single RTI application — there is no requirement to file separate applications for each question.

Step 3: File Online via rtionline.gov.in

The Central Government's RTI online portal at rtionline.gov.in accepts applications to Telangana state government public authorities, including the Directorate of Mines and Geology and District Mines Officers, as well as to SCCL. Select the Telangana state government option and identify the relevant department or office. Online filing generates an instant acknowledgement number, allows digital ₹10 fee payment (free for BPL cardholders who upload a BPL certificate), and provides a legally verifiable record for First and Second Appeals.

Step 4: File by Post or in Person

Physical applications may be submitted by registered post (acknowledgement due) to the CPIO at the Directorate of Mines and Geology, Panagal Buildings, Hyderabad, or to the relevant DMO's office, along with a ₹10 Indian Postal Order payable to the public authority, or cash paid in person. BPL cardholders must attach a copy of their BPL ration card. Mark the envelope: "Application under the Right to Information Act, 2005."

Step 5: Track the Response

Under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, the CPIO must respond within 30 days of receipt. Under the proviso to Section 7(1), where information concerns the life or liberty of a person — for example, information about mine safety incidents, hazardous conditions near active blasting operations, or environmental contamination affecting drinking water — the CPIO must respond within 48 hours. Track the application using your acknowledgement number on rtionline.gov.in. If 30 days pass without a substantive response, file the First Appeal promptly.

First Appeal: Section 19(1)

If the CPIO fails to respond within 30 days, provides an incomplete or evasive response, or denies information without citing a valid statutory exemption, file a First Appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act, 2005. The First Appeal must be filed within 30 days of the date of the CPIO's decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. No fee is payable.

Address the First Appeal to the First Appellate Authority (FAA) within the relevant public authority:

• For the Directorate: typically the Director of Mines and Geology or the Additional Director designated as FAA.
• For a DMO: the senior officer designated as FAA, often the Collector or Director-level officer.
• For SCCL: the General Manager (Personnel/Administration) or equivalent designated FAA.

In the appeal, quote your original application number, the date filed, the information sought, and the specific deficiency in the CPIO's response. The FAA must decide within 30 days (extendable to 45 days for reasons recorded in writing).

Second Appeal: Telangana State Information Commission (TSIC)

If the First Appeal is decided unsatisfactorily, or no decision is received within the prescribed period, file a Second Appeal under Section 19(3) of the RTI Act, 2005 with the Telangana State Information Commission (TSIC). The Second Appeal must be filed within 90 days of the FAA's order or the expiry of the FAA's decision period.

The second appeal must go to the TSIC, not the Central Information Commission (CIC). The Directorate of Mines and Geology, District Mines Officers, and SCCL are all Telangana state public authorities. The CIC has jurisdiction only over Central Government bodies. Filing a second appeal with the CIC for a Telangana mining authority or SCCL matter will be returned as not maintainable. This distinction matters — SCCL is different from Coal India Ltd subsidiaries: ECL, BCCL, SECL, MCL, and WCL are Central PSUs (second appeal to CIC); SCCL is a Telangana state PSU (second appeal to TSIC).

The TSIC, established under Section 15 of the RTI Act, 2005, has the power to:

• Direct the CPIO to furnish the information that was denied or delayed.
• Under Section 20 of the RTI Act, impose a penalty of ₹250 per day on the defaulting CPIO personally, up to a maximum of ₹25,000, for unjustified delay, denial without cause, or providing knowingly incorrect information.
• Recommend disciplinary action against the CPIO to the competent authority.

When filing with the TSIC, include: a copy of your original RTI application with proof of filing, the CPIO's response (or documentation of non-response), the First Appeal with proof of filing, the FAA's order (or documentation of non-response), and a clear grounds statement.

Practical Tips for Effective Telangana Mining RTI

Specify lease numbers and districts. Telangana has hundreds of active mining leases across dozens of minerals and the state's now-33 districts. An application without the Mining Lease number or the DMO jurisdiction will produce an unresponsive reply. Lease numbers can sometimes be located from public environmental clearance documents on MoEFCC's Parivesh portal, or from the Directorate's own public records.

For sand permits, name the river reach or village. Sand mining permissions in Telangana are typically issued by the DMO (or now through the TSMMS system) for specific reaches identified by village name and river kilometre. Naming the village and river segment dramatically improves the specificity and usefulness of the response.

Cross-check royalty paid against production returns. Request both documents from the DMO. Discrepancies — royalty paid on 50,000 tonnes from a mine whose inspection report documents extraction of 200,000 tonnes — are direct evidence of under-reporting to the state government, and a powerful finding for journalism or public interest litigation.

For SCCL DMF, file with both SCCL and the District Collector. The DMF corpus may be accounted for partly by SCCL (as contributor) and partly by the DMF Governing Council (District Collector) for disbursement. File parallel RTI applications to both — the SCCL CPIO for contribution records, and the District Collector's CPIO for project expenditure and Governing Council minutes.

For composite squad raids, file with the DMO, not just the Police. Raid records may be split between the Mines and Geology Department, the Revenue Department, and the Police. File RTI with all three if you want a complete picture.

For environmental clearance compliance, add TSPCB. The Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) holds mine-specific monitoring data and consent orders. A complementary RTI to TSPCB for ambient air and water quality data near a specific mine, or for CTE/CTO compliance records, adds an environmental dimension that the Directorate's inspection reports may not cover.

File online for a verifiable record. In districts where the sand or granite industry has substantial local economic clout, online filing through rtionline.gov.in provides a legally traceable record that cannot be suppressed or misdirected, and is essential evidence for appeal proceedings.

RTI Act Sections Reference

The following provisions are directly relevant to filing RTI with Telangana's mining authorities:

• Section 2(h): Definition of "public authority." The Directorate of Mines and Geology, District Mines Officers, and SCCL (as a Telangana-majority state PSU) are public authorities and fully subject to the RTI Act.
• Section 6: Procedure for requesting information from the CPIO of the relevant public authority.
• Section 7(1): The CPIO must provide information within 30 days of receipt of the application.
• Section 7(1) proviso: For information concerning the life or liberty of a person, the CPIO must respond within 48 hours.
• Section 19(1): First Appeal to the FAA within the mining authority, within 30 days of the date of the CPIO's decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable.
• Section 19(3): Second Appeal to the Telangana State Information Commission (TSIC), within 90 days of the FAA's order or expiry of the FAA's response period.
• Section 20: Penalty of ₹250 per day (up to ₹25,000) imposed by the TSIC on the CPIO personally for unjustified denial, delay, or misleading responses; TSIC may also recommend disciplinary action.

Telangana's mineral wealth — coal from the ancient Gondwana formations of the Godavari valley, limestone from the Deccan craton, granite quarried from the basement rocks of the Eastern Ghats foothills, and sand from the riverbeds of the Krishna and Godavari — sustains industries ranging from power generation to housing construction. The records held by the Directorate of Mines and Geology, District Mines Officers, and SCCL about who holds what lease, how much royalty is paid, whether communities near mines are receiving DMF benefits, and whether the enforcement machinery is actually functioning — are not departmental secrets. They are public information, held in trust, and the Right to Information Act, 2005 gives every citizen — every resident near a limestone quarry in Nalgonda, every family in a Kothagudem coal township, every farmer on the Krishna whose groundwater has been depleted by sand extraction — the legal right to access them. The Telangana State Information Commission stands as the enforcement authority when the state's own mining officials fail to honour that obligation.