Central Government focuses on Central RTI rules

Central Government asks states, courts to adopt Central RTI rules

mutatis mutandis in order to bring uniformity  in the implementation of RTI Act  through out the  country

On 10^th July, 2015,  the Govt.  of  India  has written a letter  to  all the States, High Courts and Supreme Court  to adopt  Central RTI rules, 2012  mutatis mutandis, so that there might be uniformity, as far as possible, in the matter of implementation of the Act throughout the country. Similar letter was also sent by Central Govt. to all the States on 26.4.2011 to follow Central Rules while framing state RTI Rules and prescribe fee in consonance with the fees prescribed by Govt. of India.

It deserves to be mentioned here that  the Rules  framed  by the State Governments  does not  have uniformity  each other and  many states  charge exorbitant fees which are  not all reasonable. Different type of fees charged  by  different states  has created a lot of problem for the Citizens  in their  pursuit  of  exercising their Rights under RTI Act.

For example, Odisha  has  made appeal fee of Rs. 20/- and Rs. 25/-  for first appeal and second appeal respectively  going  against the provision of the RTI Act.   The Central Govt. and many state  Govt. has not   made  any provision of appeal fee for first appeal and second appeal complying the RTI Act.

Similarly,  as per section 7(5) of the RTI Act,  a BPL Applicant need not pay any kind of fee under  RTI Act. The Central Govt. and all the State Govt. do not charge  any kind of fee from the BPL people. But  the Govt. of Odisha  which projects itself as champion  of  cause of the poor  uses  to  collect  fee for  information from BPL people. The illegal collection of fee for information from the BPL people  has  dissuaded  the  BPL people of Odisha  to exercise their right  under RTI Act.

It is also  fact that many courts are also charging a whopping Rs 500 as application fee.

Pradip Pradhan,RTI Activist Odisha

M-9937843482

Date- 30.07.2015