Every request to obtain any information under the Right to Information Act has
to be made to the Public Information Officer. It is his duty to receive
applications requesting for information under the Right to Information Act. If
in an office there is no Public Information Officer but an Assistant Public
Information Officer has been designated, he is authorized to receive
applications. This is so, in organizations at lower levels i.e. at sub-division
level and sub-district level.
Public Information Officer
In every office, an officer has to be designated as Public
Information Officer. He is the link between applicant citizen and that office
under the Right to Infornation Act. Offices which have no Public Information
Offcier have Assistant Public Information Officers.It is the duty of the
Assistant Public Information Officer to receive applications and forward the
same to the Public Information Officers for decision on the application.
Mode of Application
The request application can be either in writing or through
electronic mode, i.e. through an e-mail. It can be in English, Hindi or in the
official language of the area in which application is being made. In case
anyone has difficulty of writing the application, for any reason, he can go to
the Public Information Officer or the Assistant Public Information Officer and
tell him the required information orally. It is their duty to put the request
in writing and accept the same.
FORM OF APPLICATION
Some State Governments have devised their own application
proforma and notified these in Rules. These have become binding and are
accordingly required to be adopted.
Some Public Authorities have also devised their own proforma for
applications. However there is no compulsion under Law to stick to these. The
Central Information Commission has held that such authorities can devise their
proforma but if they receive applications in form other than devised by them,
such applications can not be rejected on the ground that these are not in
their prescribed proforma. Application can be written in any way
fulfilling the three requirements mentioned below.
There are only three requirements that an application has to
fulfill
1. Application should contain the particulars of information
sought
2. Application fee should have been paid and evidence attached
with the application. For details, see the Fees section from ‘Your Obligations”
link on the home page.
3. Application should contain some detail (minimum necessary) by
which the applicant can be contacted.
You may also look into Current Affairs section on home page to
view some of the interesting applications which have been filed across the
country and draw parallel from these.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE
• No reasons for seeking information are required to be given in
the application nor can be asked for by the Public Information officer.
• Also, no personal details are required nor can be called for.
• The Right to Information Act has given this right to information only to Citizens of India.
WHICH Public Information Officer
• You have to ascertain the relevant public information officer where the
request application has to be filed. Generally, you are clear about what
information you desire to have. Contact the related office and enquire about the
Public Information Officer and file the application with him. In case you have
any difficulty, approach us through the ‘Free Advice' link on the home page.
Application Fee
The application fee has to be paid in advance and evidence of
payment has to be attached with the application. The Public Information Officer
can be contacted to know the amount of application fee, how to pay the fee and
where to pay the fee. Generally the fee can be paid in cash, or by demand draft
or bankers cheque.
• The quantum of application fee shall depend upon the
particular office from which request for information is being made. This is
because there are various Rule making authorities in this regard and different
Rules for application fee have been made by them.
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