Right to Information
Every citizen has the right to access information held by the state — promoting transparency, accountability, and participation in good governance.
Right to Information — Welipitiya Divisional Secretariat
The right to information is vested in the people. It is the responsibility of us, the Welipitiya Divisional Secretariat, to work towards the ensurement of the fundamental rights of people by revealing information, enhancing the transparency and accountability of the public administration.
We are committed to proactively disclosing information about our functions, decisions, expenditures, and service delivery to all citizens we serve, in accordance with the Right to Information Act No. 12 of 2016.
- Records of government decisions, policies, and official documents held by this office
- Budget allocations and expenditure — how public funds are spent
- Procurement and contract details for goods and services
- Development programmes — plans, progress, beneficiary data
- Land records and survey information administered by this office
- Civil registration records (births, deaths, marriages) where you are the subject or legal representative
- Welfare programme details — Samurdhi, Aswesuma eligibility criteria and distribution data
- Details of permits and licences issued by this office
- Information about any matter involving serious human rights violations — no exemption applies
- Any information exposing corruption or misuse of public funds
Mrs. R.S. Dilhani Nadeeka
Divisional Secretary — WelipitiyaMr. S.G.Y. Aravinda
Assistant Divisional Secretary — Welipitiya-
1
Obtain Form RTI 01 — available at the counter of this office or download from rticommission.lk. A plain letter describing the specific information you need is also acceptable — a formal form is not mandatory.
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2
Submit to the Information Officer at this office. Describe the information you seek clearly. You do not need to state a reason — this is your legal right under Section 24 of the Act.
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Receive acknowledgement — the Information Officer must acknowledge your request and issue a decision within 14 working days. Complex cases involving third parties may be extended to 21 working days.
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Receive the information in your preferred format — physical copies, certified copies, electronic format, or inspection of records at the office. Delivery can be requested in Sinhala, Tamil, or English.
Under Section 24 of the Act, the Information Officer cannot ask you why you want the information. If asked to justify your request, you may decline. Access cannot be withheld on that basis.
- Filing a request — completely free, no charge
- Record inspection at office — free for first hour; Rs. 37.50/hour thereafter
- Photocopies (A4) — Rs. 4.00 per page (single-sided)
- Below poverty line — all reproduction fees waived on written declaration
- Electronic format — actual cost of reproduction only (USB/CD provided by requester)
- Written in Sinhala, Tamil, or English
- Describes the information with reasonable specificity
- Addressed to the Information Officer of this office
- Includes your name and contact details
- Does not need to state a reason for the request
- Does not need to be on a formal form — a plain letter suffices
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A1
If your request is refused, partially refused, or not responded to within 14 working days, you may lodge an internal appeal.
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A2
Submit Form RTI 10 to the Designated Officer (Divisional Secretary) within 21 days of the refusal or the deadline expiry. State your grounds clearly.
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A3
The Designated Officer must respond in writing with a reasoned decision within 14 working days.
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B1
If unsatisfied with the Designated Officer's decision, appeal to the Right to Information Commission within 2 months of that decision.
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B2
Lodge online at rticommission.lk or in writing to the Commission at BMICH, Colombo 07. Include copies of all prior documents.
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B3
The RTI Commission may order release of information, impose penalties on officers who wrongfully refuse, or provide other remedies.
A public authority officer who wilfully withholds information without a lawful exemption, or obstructs access, commits an offence under the RTI Act and is subject to disciplinary action and penalties imposed by the RTI Commission. You may cite this when lodging an external appeal.
If the Information Officer refuses your request, they must state which specific exemption applies and explain why. A vague or unexplained refusal is itself a ground for appeal.
- Information that would threaten national security or national defence
- Information received from a foreign government in confidence
- Information protected by legal professional privilege
- Information constituting a serious invasion of personal privacy of a third party
- Commercial or trade secrets of a private party held by the authority
- Information that would impede an ongoing law enforcement investigation
- Cabinet deliberations during the active decision-making process
- Information about serious human rights violations — no exemption applies, including national security
- Information exposing corruption or misuse of public funds
- Budget, expenditure, procurement and contract details of public institutions
- Where public interest in disclosure clearly outweighs any harm from release
Even if an exemption applies, the Act requires a severability test — if the exempt portion can be separated, the rest of the document must still be released.
Right to Information Commission of Sri Lanka
The independent constitutional body that hears external appeals, monitors compliance, and enforces the RTI Act across all public authorities in Sri Lanka.
Submit an RTI Request
Collect Form RTI 01 from our counter or download it from the RTI Commission website. Submit to the Information Officer at this office during working hours.