Download RTI Act, 2005, (Gazette Copy)

The Right to Information act is a law enacted by the Parliament of India to access records of the Central Government and State Governments. The Act applies to all States and Union Territories of India, except the State of Jammu and Kashmir - which is covered under a State-level law. Under the provisions of the Act, any citizen (including the citizens within J&K) may request information from a "public authority" (a body of Government or "instrumentality of State") which is required to reply expeditiously or within thirty days. The Act also requires every public authority to computerise their records for wide dissemination and to proactively publish certain categories of information so that the citizens need minimum recourse to request for information formally.This law was passed by Parliament on 15 June 2005 and came fully into force on 13 October 2005. Information disclosure in India was hitherto restricted by the Official Secrets Act 1923 and various other special laws, which the new RTI Act now relaxes.

Procedure

 

Under the Act, all authorities covered must appoint their Public Information Officer (PIO). Any person may submit a request to the PIO for information in writing. It is the PIO's obligation to provide information to citizens of India who request information under the Act. If the request pertains to another public authority (in whole or part) it is the PIO's responsibility to transfer/forward the concerned portions of the request to a PIO of the other within 5 days. In addition, every public authority is required to designate Assistant Public Information Officers (APIOs) to receive RTI requests and appeals for forwarding to the PIOs of their public authority. The citizen making the request is not obliged to disclose any information except his name and contact particulars.

The Act specifies time limits for replying to the request.

• If the request has been made to the PIO, the reply is to be given within 30 days of receipt.
• If the request has been made to an APIO, the reply is to be given within 35 days of receipt.
• If the PIO transfers the request to another public authority (better concerned with the information requested), the time allowed to reply is 30 days but computed from the day after it is received by the PIO of the transferee authority.
• Information concerning corruption and Human Rights violations by scheduled Security agencies (those listed in the Second Schedule to the Act) is to be provided within 45 days but with the prior approval of the Central Information Commission.
• However, if life or liberty of any person is involved, the PIO is expected to reply within 48 hours.

Since the information is to be paid for, the reply of the PIO is necessarily limited to either denying the request (in whole or part) and/or providing a computation of "further fees". The time between the reply of the PIO and the time taken to deposit the further fees for information is excluded from the time allowed.

If the information is not provided within this period, it is treated as deemed refusal. Refusal with or without reasons may be ground for appeal or complaint. Further, information not provided in the times prescribed is to be provided free of charge.

 

Quantum of Fee

• An application for obtaining any information under sub-section (1) of section 6 shall be accompanied with a fee of rupees ten only.

• If the applicant is a Below Poverty Card holder, then no fee shall apply. Such BPL Card holders have to provide a copy of their BPL card along with their application to the Public Authority.

• The following fee shall be charged for providing information under sub-section (1) of section 7, namely:-
  a.    Rupees Two for each page in A-4 or A-3 size paper, created or copied; and
  b.    Actual charge or cost price of a copy in larger size paper;
  c.    Actual cost or price for samples or models;
  d.    for inspection of records, no fee for the first hour; and a fee of rupees five for each fifteen minutes (or fraction thereof) thereafter;
  e.    for information provided in diskette or floppy rupees fifty per diskette or floppy; and
  f.     for information provided in printed form at the price fixed for such publication or rupees two per page of photocopy for extracts from the publication.

RTI in PSTCL

To obtain information under RTI Act from PSTCL, requisite fee may be deposited through postal order/demand draft in the name of "PUNJAB STATE TRANSMISSION CORPORATION LIMITED" or through cash deposit in the offices of PSTCL.

 

 

To have latest information and for downloading form, please visit the following:

1.    https://rtionline.gov.in

2.    https://rti.punjab.gov.in

3.    http://www.infocommpunjab.com

4.    Punjab RTI Rules