Connect Punjab Portal: Registration, Login & RTI Filing Help (Punjab)

Before you start, keep these ready

• Your full name and postal address
• A mobile number and email ID (to register on Connect Punjab)
• Connect Punjab account / login details
• The Punjab department / public authority you want information from
• Your RTI questions, written in plain text
• A payment method as shown by the portal during filing
• BPL proof, if claiming the fee exemption

How filing works

1. Open connect.punjab.gov.in and register / log in (an account is required).
2. Choose the RTI service ("Apply RTI") on the portal.
3. Select the concerned Punjab public authority and enter your applicant details.
4. Write your RTI request in clear, plain text and upload a supporting document if needed.
5. Pay the fee online through the option shown by the portal.
6. Submit and save the registration / reference number - you need it to track and to appeal.
7. Track status on the portal and use "Submit First Appeal" (and, if needed, "Submit Second Appeal") online.

If your department is not listed (the most common problem)

• Look for the parent Punjab department - the office may sit under a larger public authority.
• If it is a Central Government office, use the Central RTI portal (rtionline.gov.in) - see our Central portal help.
• If it is another State's public authority, use that State's RTI route.
• If a Punjab office is not available on the portal, file by post to the concerned PIO - see our guide to filing RTI offline.
• Use Section 6(3) transfer only after a reasonable effort to identify the correct public authority. See Section 6(3) explained.
• Not sure which office or PIO? Use FindMyPIO, or let FileMyRTI identify it and file for you.

Common portal errors and how to fix them

Filing a First Appeal

If the Connect Punjab portal accepts your RTI, you may be able to file the First Appeal online from the status page; the online appeal route can be limited/unreliable, so if needed, file the First Appeal physically to the First Appellate Authority of the same office. The Second Appeal lies with the Punjab State Information Commission (PSIC), which hears appeals (including by video conferencing).

When to use a State portal or file offline instead

• The Punjab office is not available on the portal, or Connect Punjab registration/payment keeps failing.
• The office is a Central Government body or another State's authority - use the Central portal (rtionline.gov.in) or that State's route.
• You want a Speed Post trail as documentary proof, or you already know the PIO address.

For the postal route, see how to file an RTI offline (by post), including how to attach the fee.

Postal RTI packet checklist

• Signed RTI application
• Correct fee instrument or BPL proof
• Supporting document, if needed
• Envelope addressed to the PIO / public authority
• Your return address
• A photo or photocopy of the full packet before dispatch
• The Speed Post or registered post receipt

Frequently Asked Questions