Sakala 

Sakala is an Act passed by the Karnataka Government in 2011, under the Right to Public Services legislation, which assures delivery of Government services to citizens within a stipulated time and provides a means to hold public servants accountable. Sakala covers all government bodies, public sector companies and non-government bodies financed by the Government.

Upon submitting an application, the citizen is given a GSC (Guarantee of Service to Citizen) number, which helps them track the status of the application. If the application is rejected and the citizen does not agree with the reason given, or the service is not provided within the promised time, the citizen can file an Appeal with the ‘Competent Officer’ on the Sakala website, within 30 days from the date the decision was made (if the application was rejected), or the specific time promised for the service has elapsed. A First Appeal Number (FAP) is generated for the citizen to track the status of their appeal  If the citizen is not satisfied with the Competent Officer’s response, they can file a second appeal, within 30 days of the decision, with the ‘Appellate Authority’. The decision of the Appellate Authority is final. No payment is required to file the appeals. 

In Karnataka, the citizen can contact Sakala by phone on 080 44554455 or by email: sakala@nic.in/ aosakala@gmail.com

Here is the link to file the first appeal

Here is the link to file the second appeal   

RTI

The Right to Information (RTI) is an Act passed by the Parliament of India in 2005 that allows citizens to request information from a “public authority” and requires a response within 30 days. 

RTI is governed by the Central Information Commission (CIC) and State Information Commissions, which report to the President and State Governors, respectively. 

A citizen can make requests to Central Government Departments and Bodies under the Central Government through the RTI Portal and for State Departments/State Government Bodies through the respective state’s RTI portals. A payment of Rs. 10 per application is required. (not applicable to citizens below the poverty line)

On submission of an application, a unique registration number is issued to facilitate tracking the status. 

The Karnataka RTI portal is here. If the citizen is not satisfied with the response provided to the application, or a response has not been provided within 30 days, they can make an appeal to the first Appellate Authority. A second appeal can be made to the Commission here, within 90 days from the date of the decision by the first Appellate Authority. 

You can reach RTI Karnataka by email or by phone on 080 22585858. 

Lokayukta 

The Lokayukta is a state-level authority in India that investigates complaints of corruption and maladministration made by the public. The Karnataka Lokayukta was established in 1984. 

A complaint to the Karnataka Lokayukta can be made in person in the Head Office of the Karnataka Lokayukta in Bengaluru or a District Lokayukta office (details here), or by registered post to the Registrar. There is no option to file a complaint online, however, the citizen can track the status of the complaint online.  

You can download the complaint form and affidavit ((Form I and Form II)) here. The complaint needs to be supported by an affidavit sworn before a Judicial Magistrate First Class, Notary Public, Oath Commissioner, or any Gazetted Officer. There is no payment required to file a complaint. 

You can check the status of your complaint here

You can reach the Karnataka Lokayukta by phone on 080-22257013, 080-22257534, or toll free number 18004255320 or by email