RTI is definitely the best medium for a "Greater Participation for a stronger Democracy." Before we get the desired information in response with our Right to Information (RTI) application, we are required to pay for it. Don't worry, It's just the nominal fees that is required to be paid to get the information in accordance with the Right to Information Act, 2005 and other local acts of rules of states.
Yes, RTI Act, 2005 is a Central act which determines basic provisions about RTI that are applicable through out India. However, every state has its own RTI rules which regulates RTI on state level which is basically about fees, how it is paid, procedure to be followed by PIO, Mode of serving notice, etc.
Normally, In majority of states, the fee that is required to be paid to get the information under RTI Act is Rs. 10/- (Ten Rupees only) per application and the applicant is also required to pay additional fees for getting copy of the desired information which is normally Rs. 2/- (Two rupees only) per page. However, This may vary from state to state.
Besides this, The applicant under the RTI act may also be asked to pay other fees too. Such as, if the applicant wants to inspect some public document, he may be asked to pay for the same. There's a specified fee for the same under the RTI Act.
Make sure that if you belong to the category of Below Poverty Lin (BPL), you are not required to pay any fees. All you need is to attach a self-attested photocopy of the BPL certificate along with the application.
This is How you can pay Fees with RTI application: You may pay fees by one or more ways that are available for payment to general public. It may be by cash, postal order, DD, court fees tickets etc.
Postal Order: You can attach postal orders along-with your RTI application executed in favour of the accounts officer of the public authority. This is normally done, if the RTI application is sent by Regd. post. Generally, Postal order is the most used option to pay the RTI fees by several RTI applicants across India.
Cash: Otherwise, if you are willing to submit your RTI application before the PIO by hand, you may pay the fees in cash too,but it must be against a proper receipt. Note this, The public authority cannot refuse to accept your fees in cash.
Demand Draft: Fees for information sought can also be paid by way of Demand Draft made in favour of the Accounts officer of the public authority.
Adhesive Court fees stamps: If you are seeking information from a court or a juducial institution you may pay the court fees by affixing Adhesive Court fees stamps on the RTI application.
Cheque: bankers cheque is yet another option in accordance with Section 6(b) of the RTI rules, 2012 which is issued in the favour of the accounts officer of the public authority.
Electronically: You may also pay the RTI fees electronically to the public authority if such facility is available with the same.
Amount of Fees you are required to pay: As stated earlier, This may vary from state to state. However, before talking about states, we will first discuss here what the central government's notification has to say about this.
The Right to Information Rules, 2012 that was notified on 31st July, 2012 by the Department of Personnel and Training of the MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS vide Notification number GS.R.603(E) in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 27 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 gives detailed provisions on fees that are required to be paid.
According to the rules, there are two-three types of fees that are required to be paid to get the information under the RTI Act.
1. RTI Application Fees: In accordance with the Section 3 of the rules, RTI application fees is generally Rs. 10/- (Ten rupees only) per application.
2. Fees to get copy of Documents or CDs: Fees that is required to be paid is Rs.2/- per page if the page is of A3 or smaller size papers. However, if the size of paper is more than A3 size, you are required to pay the actual cost of or price of a photocopy of the same and actual cost or price for samples or models and price fixed for a publication or Rs. 2/- per page for the extracts from publications.
If you are seeking some information, that is stored in some floppy or diskette, in such cases, you are required to pay Rs. 50/- per floppy or diskette.
3. Fees for Inspection of Public Documents: If you want to inspect any public document via RTI you are not required to pay any fees for the first hour of inspection and thereafter, Rs. 5/- per hour or fraction.
4. Fees for paying Postal Charges: If you seek information through post, you are required to pay postal charges if they exceed Rs. 50/- in accordance with the Section 4(g) of the RTI rules, 2012.
Sections 3, 4, 5, 6 of the RTI Rules, 2012 deals with the payment of fees and its mode of payment. the said sections are as follows:
Make sure that if you belong to the category of Below Poverty Lin (BPL), you are not required to pay any fees. All you need is to attach a self-attested photocopy of the BPL certificate along with the application.
This is How you can pay Fees with RTI application: You may pay fees by one or more ways that are available for payment to general public. It may be by cash, postal order, DD, court fees tickets etc.
Postal Order: You can attach postal orders along-with your RTI application executed in favour of the accounts officer of the public authority. This is normally done, if the RTI application is sent by Regd. post. Generally, Postal order is the most used option to pay the RTI fees by several RTI applicants across India.
Cash: Otherwise, if you are willing to submit your RTI application before the PIO by hand, you may pay the fees in cash too,but it must be against a proper receipt. Note this, The public authority cannot refuse to accept your fees in cash.
Demand Draft: Fees for information sought can also be paid by way of Demand Draft made in favour of the Accounts officer of the public authority.
Adhesive Court fees stamps: If you are seeking information from a court or a juducial institution you may pay the court fees by affixing Adhesive Court fees stamps on the RTI application.
Cheque: bankers cheque is yet another option in accordance with Section 6(b) of the RTI rules, 2012 which is issued in the favour of the accounts officer of the public authority.
Electronically: You may also pay the RTI fees electronically to the public authority if such facility is available with the same.
Amount of Fees you are required to pay: As stated earlier, This may vary from state to state. However, before talking about states, we will first discuss here what the central government's notification has to say about this.
The Right to Information Rules, 2012 that was notified on 31st July, 2012 by the Department of Personnel and Training of the MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS vide Notification number GS.R.603(E) in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 27 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 gives detailed provisions on fees that are required to be paid.
According to the rules, there are two-three types of fees that are required to be paid to get the information under the RTI Act.
1. RTI Application Fees: In accordance with the Section 3 of the rules, RTI application fees is generally Rs. 10/- (Ten rupees only) per application.
2. Fees to get copy of Documents or CDs: Fees that is required to be paid is Rs.2/- per page if the page is of A3 or smaller size papers. However, if the size of paper is more than A3 size, you are required to pay the actual cost of or price of a photocopy of the same and actual cost or price for samples or models and price fixed for a publication or Rs. 2/- per page for the extracts from publications.
If you are seeking some information, that is stored in some floppy or diskette, in such cases, you are required to pay Rs. 50/- per floppy or diskette.
3. Fees for Inspection of Public Documents: If you want to inspect any public document via RTI you are not required to pay any fees for the first hour of inspection and thereafter, Rs. 5/- per hour or fraction.
4. Fees for paying Postal Charges: If you seek information through post, you are required to pay postal charges if they exceed Rs. 50/- in accordance with the Section 4(g) of the RTI rules, 2012.
Sections 3, 4, 5, 6 of the RTI Rules, 2012 deals with the payment of fees and its mode of payment. the said sections are as follows:
3. Application Fee.—An application under sub-section (1) of Section 6 of the Act shall be accompanied by a fee of rupees ten and shall ordinarily not contain more than five hundred words, excluding annexures, containing address of the Central Public Information Officer and that of the applicant:
Provided that no application shall be rejected only on the ground that it contains more than five hundred words.
4. Fees for providing information.—Fee for providing information under sub-section (4) of Section 4 and sub-sections (I) and (5) of Section 7 of the Act shall be charged at the following rates, namely :—
(a) rupees two for each page in A-3 or smaller size paper;
(b) actual cost or price of a photocopy in large size paper;
(c) actual cost or price for samples or models;
(d) rupees fifty per diskette or floppy;
(e) price fixed for a publication or rupees two per page of photocopy for extracts from the publication;
(f) no fee for inspection of records for the first hour of inspection and a fee of rupees 5 for each subsequent hour or fraction thereof; and
(g) so much of postal charge involved in supply of information that exceeds fifty rupees.
5. Exemption from Payment of Fee.—No fee under rule 3 and rule 4 shall be charged from any person who, is below poverty line provided a copy of the certificate issued by the appropriate Government in this regard is submitted alongwith the application.
6. Mode of Payment of fee.— Fees under these rules may be paid in any of the following manner, namely:—
(a) in cash, to the public authority or to the Central Assistant Public Information Officer of the public authority, as the case may be, against a proper receipt; or
(b) by demand draft or bankers cheque or Indian Postal Order payable to the Accounts Officer of the public authority; or
(c) by electronic means to the Accounts Officer of the public authority, if facility for receiving fees through electronic means is available with the public authority.
What if you pay lees fee than actually required?
It may happen, if you seek some information but pay less fee than you are required to pay. What will happen in such a case? Will your RTI application will be straightway Dismissed? The answer is No. If this happens, the PIO is duty bound to inform you about the deficient fee and ask you to pay the same. You can pay the fees that is required to be paid and can get the desired information.
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