Answer By law4u team
Under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, the time limit to receive information depends on the nature of the request and the authority involved. Here are the key timelines: 1. General Time Limit: If the application is filed with the Public Information Officer (PIO) of a public authority, the information must be provided within 30 days from the date of receipt of the application. 2. If Information Concerns Life or Liberty: If the information sought concerns the life or liberty of a person, the PIO must provide the information within 48 hours. 3. Application to Assistant PIO: If the application is submitted to an Assistant Public Information Officer (APIO), an additional 5 days are added to the above timelines. 4. Third-Party Information: If the request involves a third party and the PIO must consult them under Section 11 of the Act, the reply must still be given within 40 days from the date of receipt of the application. 5. Information from Another Public Authority: If the application is transferred to another public authority under Section 6(3), the timeline still starts from the original date of application, not from the date of transfer. 6. If the Applicant is Below Poverty Line (BPL): No application fee is charged, but the time limits remain the same. Failure to respond within the stipulated time is deemed as a refusal to provide information, and the applicant has the right to file a first appeal to the appellate authority. So, the standard time limit is 30 days, but it can be as short as 48 hours in urgent cases related to life or liberty.
