Practical techniques in filing RTI applications

It is one thing to draft an RTI application properly with right PIO, address, Postal order etc, but there is still no guarantee that your application may not come back purely based on some technical grounds.  Here we will discuss some advanced techniques used by RTI applicants to make sure that the RTI application is always accepted and they do not lose time in re-filing of application.

Usually RTI applications are accompanied with Indian Postal Order (IPO) as form of payment.  Sometimes the RTI application is sent back (not rejected though) by a government department saying that the  should be payable to Pay and Accounts Officer (PAO) of so an so department.  Basically, the application has been rejected not because of fault in it but because the pay order had the name of wrong person!

One possible way to avoid such problems is to use the technique below, where you leave the space after PAY TO blank and let PIO fill it up in appropriate manner.  But it is not foolproof just someone’s experience so try it with caution.

http://www.rtiindia.org/forum/3520-indian-postal-order.html

If the rules of a particular department say that you have to pay in cash, you can send Money Order instead.  Refer to State Information Commission, Orissa’s decision below:

http://orissasoochanacommission.nic.in/decisions/important_cases.htm

(Finding at Paragraph 7 of the Decision)

          Last but not the least there was ample debate regarding the deposit of application fees by sending       Money Order.  Rule 4 of the Orissa Right To Information Rules, 2005 is clear and express.  Application fees can be deposited in cash.  No where in the said Rule the Complainant has been asked to deposit the money in person.  Therefore, there is no legal difficulty in receiving money order through the Postal Department which is cash.  Such unfounded doubts should not be entertained by the PIO of the Public Authority.

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