Two Information Commissioners in two separate cases-- R K Jain and
Raghubir Singh-- have made a common recommendation to the Department of
Personnel and Training for implementing postal stamps as a mode of payment of
RTI fee thus reducing hassles of applicants.
RTI users now have to pay a fee of Rs 10 either in cash, bank demand
draft or Indian Postal Order to get information.
Some authorities like Army and Indian air force refuse to accept
applications drawn in favour of Accounts Officer despite clear directives of
the Department of Personnel and Training causing hassles to applicants.
"The appellant has submitted that the postal department's
recommendation for use of ordinary postal stamps for payment of RTI fee is both
practical and user friendly. The Commission finds merit in the appellant's
submissions and would urge the DoPT to consider this at the earliest.
"In this connection it is noted that the government of Tamil Nadu
has already allowed payment of RTI fee by affixing court fee stamps,
Information Commissioner Basant Seth said in the matter of activist R K Jain.
Agreeing with Seth, Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu also
issued an exhaustive order on the issue recommending to DoPT to avail the
opportunity of giving New Year Gift to the citizens by permitting and
publicising the use of ordinary postal stamps for the payment of RTI fee.
"Accepting postal stamps for RTI fee would resolve many
difficulties in payment, besides preventing wastage of public money in
returning or rejecting the IPOs or spending much larger amounts than Rs 10, for
realising Rs 10, and avoidable litigation," he said.
Read more at:
http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/cic-recommends-ordinary-postal-stamp-as-rti-fee-instrument_1514537.html
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