DFO sought Rs 10 per page for info under RTI Act’
Sidharth
by Raakhi Jagga Dec 22, 2008 'Express India'
Ludhiana Ludhiana District Forest Officer (DFO) Mahavir Singh, after
sitting over a letter seeking information under the Right to
Information (RTI) Act for about five months, had allegedly demanded Rs
10 per page for providing information under the Act.
Hitender Jain, general secretary of Resurgence India, an NGO, had
sought information from the Department of Forests and Wildlife,
Punjab, on July 15 this year, regarding cutting trees for constructing
approach roads to malls, marriage palaces and other buildings.
On September 29, the department then directed all divisional forest
officers in Punjab to provide the information.
"The DFO, however, demanded Rs 10 per page against the prescribed fee
of Rs 2 per page through a letter dated December 12," he said. He
added: "Under Section 7(6) of the RTI Act, no fee is to be paid if the
information sought is not provided within 30 days. And as we had
sought the information in July, we are not liable to pay any fees.
Moreover, the prescribed rate for using the data is Rs 2."
He added that this shows that the DFO does not have enough knowledge
about the RTI Act. Mahavir Singh told Newsline : "This may have
occurred due to some mistake on the clerks' part. The applicant can
send the letter back stating that he cannot pay the fee. I have posted
the information to the applicant, it will reach the NGO by the next
week."
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/dfo-sought-rs-10-per-page-for-info-under-rti-act/401315/