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Dopt Orders – Electronic Indian Postal Order – extension of service to Indian Citizens residing in India

admin — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 16:52:04 +0000

Dopt Orders – Electronic Indian Postal Order – extension of service to Indian Citizens residing in India

No.1/44/2009-IR
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training

North Block, New Delhi
Dated the 13th February, 2014

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject :- Electronic Indian Postal Order – extension of service to Indian Citizens residing in India.

In continuation to this Department’s OM. of even number dated 22/03/2013, it is intimated that Department of Posts has extended the “eIPO” (electronic Indian Postal Order) service to Indian citizens residing in India also w.e.f. 13.02.2014, for purchasing Indian Postal Order electronically by paying a fee online through e-Post Office Portal i.e. http://www.epostoffice.gov.in. It can also be accessed through India Post website www.indiapost.gov.in

2. It is reiterated that:
i) This facility has been provided for Indian citizens to facilitate them to seek information from the Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs) under the RTI Act. 2005. Debit or Credit Cards of any Bank powered by Visa / Master can be used to purchase e-IPO.

ii) The user needs to get registered at the website. He has to select the Ministry / Department from whom he desires to seek the information under the RTI Act and the elPO so generated can be used to seek information from that Ministry / Department only. A printout of the elPO is required to be attached with the RTI application. If the RTI application is being flied electronically, elPO is required to be attached as an attachment.

iii) This facility is only for purchasing an Indian Postal Order electronically. All the requirements for filing an RTI application as well as other provisions regarding eligibility, time limit, exemptions etc. will continue to apply.

3. An eIPO so generated must be used only once with an RTI application. To check any multiple use of the same elPO, the Public Authority shall maintain a record of the elPOs so received. In case of any doubt, the details of elPO can be verified from the above mentioned site / portal of India Post.

sd/-
(Sandeep Jain)
Director(IR)

Source: www.persmin.gov.in
[http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02rti/1_44_2009-IR-13022014.pdf]

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Dopt orders regarding personal details under RTI

admin — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 16:35:30 +0000

Dopt orders regarding personal details under RTI

No. 1/31/2013-IR

Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training

North Block, New Delhi,
Dated the 8th January, 2014

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Order dated 20.11.2013 of the High Court of Kolkata in Writ Petition No 33290 of 2013 in the case of Mr Avishek Goenka Vs Union of India regarding personal details of RTI applicants circulation of.

In compliance of the directions of the Hon’ble High Court of Kolkata in its said order, a copy of the judgement (order) is enclosed here with for appropriate action.

2. This may be brought to the notice of all concerned.

sd/-
(Sandeep Jain)
Director

Source: www.persmin.gov.in
[http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02rti/1_31_2013-IR.pdf]

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Guidelines on implementation of suo-motu disclosure under Section 4 of RT1 Act, 2005 — Compliance of.

admin — Sat, 14 Dec 2013 09:50:35 +0000

Guidelines on implementation of suo-motu disclosure under Section 4 of RT1 Act, 2005 — Compliance of.

No 1/6/2011-IR
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, PG & Pensions
Department of Personnel Training

North Block, New Delhi-110001

Dated 10th December, 2013

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub: Guidelines on implementation of suo-motu disclosure under Section 4 of RT1 Act, 2005 — Compliance of.

Attention is invited to this Departments O.M. of even no. dated 15.4.2013 on the subject mentioned above.

2. In that O.M., it was mentioned that each Ministry/Public Authority shall ensure that the guidelines for suo motu disclosure under RTI are fully operationalised within a period of 6 months from the date of their issuance i.e. 15.04.2013. It was also requested that the Action Taken Report on the compliance of guidelines should be sent, alongwith the URL link, to the DoPT and the Central Information Commission soon after the expiry of the initial period of the 6 months. It has been noticed that most of the Ministries/Departments/Public Authorities have not sent the compliance report/Action Taken Report to this Department and Central Information Commission.

3. It is once again requested that the guidelines mentioned in O.M. dated 15.4.2013 be complied with at the earliest and compliance report sent to this Department and Central Information Commission, immediately.

sd/-
(Sandeep Jain)
Director (IR)

Source: www.persmin.gov.in
[http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02rti/1_6_2011-IR-10122013.pdf]

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Dopt Orders 2013 – Publishing of Compendium of Best Practices on RTI

admin — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 17:18:00 +0000

Dopt Orders 2013 – Publishing of Compendium of Best Practices on RTI

F.No.1/3/2013-IR
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
(Department of Personnel & Training)

North Block,
New Delhi
Dated the 28th June, 2013.

Subject:- Publishing of Compendium of Best Practices on RTI.

Reference is invited to this Department’s circular dated the 14th May 2013 inviting write-ups from the Indian Citizens about the best practices on RTI being adopted by Public Authorities all over the country.

2. The last date for sending the write-ups earlier fixed for 28th June, 2013 is now extended to 15th July, 2013.

sd/-
(Sarita Nair)
Under Secretary to the Government of India

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Extension of RTI web portal for online filing of RTI application – Dopt Orders 2013

admin — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:32:06 +0000

Dopt Orders 2013 – Extension of RTI web portal for online filing of RTI application

No.1/1/2013-1R

Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training

North Block, New Delhi
Dated: 17/05/2013

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Extension of RTI web portal for online filing of RTI application.

In continuation of this Department’s O.M. of even number dated 22/04/2013, ¡t is intimated that training to RTI Nodal Officers, RTI Cell officials and NIC/IT personnel attached with Ministries/Departments of Government of India have been completed by DoPT with the help of NIC.

2. It is again requested that training to all the CPlOs and First Appellate Authorities (FAAs) may be provided by the concerned Ministry/Department, through the officials trained by DoPT/NIC, User name/password to all the CPIOs and FAAs are to be provided by RTI Nodal Officers of the concerned Ministry/Department. It is imperative that the RTI Nodal Officers start updating the details of CPIOs / FAAs in the system and issue user name and password to them at the earliest.

3. As mentioned in the said O.M., it is planned to extend the facility of RTI online web portal to all the Ministries/Departments of Government of India. This facility is being extended to Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries and Department of Consumer Affairs and Department of Food and Public Distribution from 22 May 2013.

sd/-
(Sandeep Jain)
Deputy Secretary

Source: www.persmin.nic.in
[http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02rti/112013-ir.pdf]

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RTI Act 2005 – Furnishing Wrong Information

admin — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:37:01 +0000

RTI Act 2005 – Furnishing Wrong Information

Furnishing Wrong Information

There are a number of cases where an applicant has filed first appeal with the First Appellate Authority in the Public Authority concerned and second appeal/complaint with the Central Information Commission/State Information , as the case may be, inter-alia, due to the following reasons:

(i) Non-receipt of information within prescribed time;

(ii) Denial of request of information;

(iii) If he/she believes that incomplete/misleading or false information under this Act has been given by the Public Information Officer.

The number of second appeals/complaints registered by the Central Information Commission during three years is as under:

2009-10	2010-11	2011-12
22800	28875	33922

The Right to Information Act, 2005 already provides for imposition of penalty and recommendation of disciplinary action by the Central Information Commission/State Information Commission, as the case may be, against the Public Information Officer who has knowingly given incorrect, incomplete or misleading information under the RTI Act. The CIC/SICs have been imposing such penalties and also recommending disciplinary action against such Public Information Officers.

This was stated by Shri V. Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office in written reply to a question by Shri Bharat Ram Meghwal today.

PIB News

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Timely intimation about payment of additional fee under RTI Act 2005

admin — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:21:57 +0000

Timely intimation about payment of additional fee under RTI Act 2005

F.No.12/31/2013-IR

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

Department of Personnel & Training

North Block, New Delhi – 110001

Dated: 11.2.2013

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Timely intimation about payment of additional fee under RTI Act 2005.

It has been brought to the notice of the Central Information Commission that some CPIOs inform the information seeker about the additional fee under sub section 7(3) of the RTI Act at the fag end of the thirty days period prescribed for providing the information under sub-section 7(1) of the RTI Act.

2. The Central Information Commission in one of its orders has mentioned that while there cannot be any hard and fast rule about when exactly the intimation about the photocopying charges should be conveyed to the information seeker, it is implied in the prescribed time limit that the demand for the photocopying charges must be made soon after the RTI application is received so that the information seeker has time to deposit the fees and receive the information within the prescribed thirty days period. If the information sought is not voluminous or is not dispersed over o large number of files, computation of the photocopying charges should not be a time consuming task. As soon as the RTI application is received, the holder of the information should decide about how much information to disclose and then calculate the photocopying charges so that the CPIO can immediately write to the information seeker demanding such fees.

3. This may be brought to the notice of all concerned for compliance.

sd/-

(Sandeep Jain)

Deputy Secretary

Source: www.persmin.nic.in

[http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02rti/12_31_2013-IR-11022013.pdf]

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DOPT issued ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ (FAQ) on ‘Right to Information Act’ (RTI)

admin — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:16:07 +0000

DOPT issued ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ (FAQ) on ‘Right to Information Act’ (RTI)

DOPT issued FAQ on RTI

Department of Personnel and Training has issued an another clarifications on Right to Information Act (RTI) as in the form of FAQ. Nearly seventeen questions and answers are compiled with simple and effective information. We reproduced the contents of the FAQ and given below for your reference…

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) ON RTI (AS ON JANURARY 2012)

Q.1. What is Information?

Information is any material in any form. It includes records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data

material held in any electronic form. It also includes information relating to any private body which can be accessed by the public authority under any law for the time being in force.

Q.2 What is a Public Authority?

A “public authority” is any authority or body or institution of self government established or constituted by or under the Constitution; or by any other law made by the Parliament or a State Legislature; or by notification issued or order made by the Central Government or a State Government. The bodies owned, controlled or substantially financed by the Central Government or a State Government and non-Government organisations substantially financed by the Central Government or a State Government also fall within the definition of public authority. The financing of the body or the NGO by the Government may be direct or indirect.

Q.3 What is a Public Information Officer?

Public authorities have designated some of its officers as Public Information Officer. They are responsible to give information to a person who seeks information under the RTI Act.

Q.4 What is an Assistant Public Information Officer?

These are the officers at sub-divisional level to whom a person can give his RTI application or appeal. These officers send the application or appeal to the Public Information Officer of the public authority or the concerned appellate authority. An Assistant Public Information Officer is not responsible to supply the information. The Assistant Public Information Officers appointed by the

Department of Posts in various post offices are working as Assistant Public Information Officers for all the public authorities under the Government of India.

Q.5. What is the Fee for Seeking Information from Central Government Public Authorities?

A person who desires to seek some information from a Central Government Public Authority is required to send, along with the application, a demand draft or a banker’s cheque or an Indian Postal Order of Rs.10/- (Rupees ten), payable to the Accounts Officer of the public authority as fee prescribed for seeking information. The payment of fee can also be made by way of cash to the Accounts Officer of the public authority or to the Assistant Public Information Officer against proper receipt. However, the RTI Fee and the mode of payment may vary as under Section 27 and Section 28, of the RTI Act, 2005 the appropriate Government and the competent authority, respectively, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules to carry out the provisions of this Act.

Q.6. What is the Fee for the BPL applicant for Seeking Information?

If the applicant belongs to below poverty line (BPL) category, he is not required to pay any fee. However, he should submit a proof in support of his claim to belong to the below poverty line.

Q.7. Is there any specific Format of Application?

There is no prescribed format of application for seeking information. The application can be made on plain paper. The application should, however, have the name and complete postal address of the applicant.

Q.8. Is it required to give any reason for seeking information?

The information seeker is not required to give reasons for seeking information.

Q.9. Is there any provision for exemption from Disclosure of Information?

Sub-section (1) of section 8 and section 9 of the Act enumerate the types of information which is exempt from disclosure. Sub-section (2) of section 8, however, provides that information exempted under sub-section (1) or exempted under the Official Secrets Act, 1923 can be disclosed if public interest in disclosure overweighs the harm to the protected interest.

Q.10. Is there any assistance available to the Applicant for filing RTI application?

If a person is unable to make a request in writing, he may seek the help of the Public Information Officer to write his application and the Public Information Officer should render him reasonable assistance. Where a decision is taken to give access to a sensorily disabled person to any document, the Public Information Officer, shall provide such assistance to the person as may be appropriate for inspection.

Q.11. What is the Time Period for Supply of Information?

In normal course, information to an applicant shall be supplied within 30 days from the receipt of application by the public authority. If information sought concerns the life or liberty of a person, it shall be supplied within 48 hours. In case the application is sent through the Assistant Public Information Officer or it is sent to a wrong public authority, five days shall be added to the period of thirty days or 48 hours, as the case may be.

Q.12. Is there any provision of Appeal under the RTI Act?

If an applicant is not supplied information within the prescribed time of thirty days or 48 hours, as the case may be, or is not satisfied with the information furnished to him, he may prefer an appeal to the first appellate authority who is an officer senior in rank to the Public Information Officer. Such an appeal, should be filed within a period of thirty days from the date on which the limit of 30 days of supply of information is expired or from the date on which the information or decision of the Public Information Officer is received. The appellate authority of the public authority shall dispose of the appeal within a period of thirty days or in exceptional cases within 45 days of the receipt of the appeal.

Q.13. Is there any scope for second appeal under the RTI Act?

If the first appellate authority fails to pass an order on the appeal within the prescribed period or if the appellant is not satisfied with the order of the first appellate authority, he may prefer a second appeal with the Central Information Commission within ninety days from the date on which the decision should have been made by the first appellate authority or was actually received by the appellant.

Q.14. Whether Complaints can be made under this Act? If yes, under what conditions?

If any person is unable to submit a request to a Public Information Officer either by reason that such an officer has not been appointed by the concerned public authority; or the Assistant Public Information Officer has refused to accept his or her application or appeal for forwarding the same to the Public Information Officer or the appellate authority, as the case may be; or he has been refused access to any information requested by him under the RTI Act; or he has not been given a response to a request for information within the time limit specified in the Act; or he has been required to pay an amount of fee which he considers unreasonable; or he believes that he has been given incomplete, misleading or false information, he can make a complaint to the Information Commission.

Q.15. What is Third Party Information?

Third party in relation to the Act means a person other than the citizen who has made request for information. The definition of third party includes a public authority other than the public authority to whom the request has been made.

Q.16. What is the Method of Seeking Information?

A citizen who desires to obtain any information under the Act, should make an application to the Public Information Officer of the concerned public authority in writing in English or Hindi or in the official language of the area in which the application is made. The application should be precise and specific. He should make payment of application fee at the time of submitting the application as prescribed in the Fee Rules.

Q.17. Is there any organization(s) exempt from providing information under RTI Act?

Yes, certain intelligence and security organisations specified in the Second Schedule, are exempted from providing information excepting the information pertaining to the allegations of corruption and human rights violations.

Source: www.persmin.nic.in

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