The Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) empowers every resident of India to get access to information that is held by public authorities, thereby fostering openness and responsibility in the administration. Within the scope of a local government project that has been allotted funds to the city, a layman is in a position to wield this Act in a way to get the data regarding the allocation and the expenditure.
First of all, a citizen needs to make a request to the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the department that is in charge of the project by filing an RTI application. The application must be in writing, which can be English, Hindi, or the official language of the region, and it should either indicate the information requested or be submitted at this website https://services.india.gov.in/service/detail/submit-a-new-rti-request-online-1
The application should have the name, the address, the contact details, and the descripttion of the data required of the applicant. The payment of a minimal application fee, usually ₹10, must be made either by demand draft, Indian Postal Order, or any other modes of payment in case it is submitted online payment can be done through online banking.
As soon as the application is received, the PIO has the obligation to respond within 30 days. If the information sought is about the life or freedom of an individual, then the response has to be given within 48 hours. When the request is not granted or no reply is obtained within the stipulated time, the applicant may file a First Appeal, with the Appellate Authority, of the same department, who is next in line to the Public Information Officer, within the time limit of this instance If the point is still differentiating, then a Second Appeal can be submitted to the State or Central Information Commission, depending on the case, which is the authority that can order the release of the information.