Information relating to tender notice for laptops
6 Jan, 2013
Background
The appellant filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act with the IIT, Kharagpur seeking information relating to tender notice for laptops and related issues. The Public Information Officer (PIO) asked the appellant to deposit Rs. 5,500/- for the documents which also included Rs. 2000/- as manpower charges. The First Appellate Authority (FAA) directed the PIO to provide information on payment of cost. The PIO asked appellant to deposit Rs. 3000/- for 1500 pages of documents.
View of CIC
The Central Information Commission (CIC) directed the PIO to allow inspection of the relevant file to the appellant on a mutually convenient date and time and provide photo copies of the documents he desires free of charge. The Commission also held that seeking of manpower charges is not permissible under the RTI Act.
Comments
It has been explained repeatedly that the only fees a PIO can demand is that which is prescribed under the Fee rules. The PIO should not commit this folly of demanding any other fees. If the documents demanded are huge and voluminous, resort should be taken to section 7(9)
An information shall ordinarily be provided in the form in which it is sought unless it would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority or would be detrimental to the safety or preservation of the record in question.
of the Act.
Citation: Mr. Rajeev Kumar v. IIT in File No. CIC/DS/A/2011/002635/RM
RTI Citation : RTIFI/2013/CIC/932
Click here to view original RTI order of Court / Information Commission