Maharashtra Govt Suspends New RTI Rules Following CM’s Intervention
Maharashtra Govt Suspends New RTI Rules Following CM’s Intervention
Mumbai, July 3, 2026: The Maharashtra government has temporarily suspended the implementation of the recently notified amendments to the state’s Right to Information (RTI) Rules after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed that no changes should take effect until detailed discussions are held with social activist Anna Hazare.
The decision reverses, for now, the June 12 notification that proposed 12 significant changes to the Maharashtra RTI Rules. Among the key amendments were an increase in the RTI application fee from ₹10 to ₹30, a rise in photocopy charges from ₹2 to ₹5 per page, the introduction of appeal fees of ₹50 for the first appeal and ₹100 for the second appeal, a limit of one subject and 150 words per application, and a requirement for applicants to submit photo identity proof.
The government’s move follows strong opposition from Anna Hazare, who had announced plans to launch an indefinite hunger strike, claiming that the revised rules would weaken citizens’ access to information by making the process more restrictive and financially burdensome.
Several RTI activists and civil society organisations also criticised the proposed amendments, arguing that the new provisions could discourage ordinary citizens from exercising their right to seek information under the transparency law.
The proposed rules also included provisions allowing public authorities to redirect applicants to information already available on government websites, reject repetitive RTI requests, require applicants seeking personal information to demonstrate a larger public interest, recognise online and UPI-based fee payments, and dismiss appeals if applicants repeatedly failed to attend hearings.
Hazare maintained that while safeguards against misuse of the RTI Act may be necessary in certain cases, they should not create unnecessary financial or procedural obstacles for genuine applicants. He called for the restoration of the earlier rules and warned of a public agitation if the amendments were not withdrawn.
With the amendments now on hold, the existing RTI Rules will remain in force until the state government completes consultations and takes a fresh decision.
Earlier, a group of RTI activists led by former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi had served a legal notice to the Maharashtra government demanding the withdrawal of the Maharashtra RTI Rules, 2026. The notice stated that if the rules were not rolled back within 15 days, the activists would challenge them before the Bombay High Court.
State Chief Information Commissioner Rahul Pande said he had met Anna Hazare to discuss ways to strengthen the implementation of the RTI Act in Maharashtra. According to Pande, the discussions focused on making the RTI system more citizen-friendly by promoting greater voluntary disclosure of information under Section 4(1) of the RTI Act.
