IN-FOCUS: NRIs face difficulty in availing RTI
facility
The Times of India , 4 April 2009
[To read this in Hindi language , click here ]
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NEW DELHI: Non-resident Indians are finding it difficult to take advantage
of the Right to Information Act with complaints of a cumbersome process of
fee-payment for information seekers living outside India.
An RTI applicant Commodore Lokesh Batra raised the issue with Indian
mission in Washington citing problems faced by NRIs in filing RTI applications.
"There is no definite procedure to deposit the fee of Rs 10 from there
(USA) to the public authority anywhere in India which is a big difficulty for
accessing the information," Batra said.
According to the Indian Embassy website, people can submit applications
along with documentary proof of Indian citizenship (like copy of personal
particulars pages of passport) and send prescribed fee in dollars, equivalent
to
Indian Rs 10 in cheque or demand draft.
However, "they need to send the fee directly to public authority here in
India for which the process is quiet vague," Batra said.
"From abroad, payment in India in Rupees for RTI Fee is a cumbersome
process, especially when different modes of payment and amount being prescribed
and accepted by Center, State Governments and other Public Authorities like
Courts
"For instance in Uttar Pradesh, one has to apply and paste treasury stamp
for getting copy of State Information Commission's order. How can a person
travel all the way from America to paste stamp and get the information?" he
asked.
According to official data, Indian Embassy in Washington had received a
total of 27 and 44 applications under the RTI Act in 2008 and 2007
respectively.
The Embassy also advised 33 applicants to send their applications directly
to the concerned PIOs as they had no connection with the working and
responsibilities of the Mission.
Asked about the complaints, Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi here
said, "I am not aware of the matter. I need to look into details before
commenting on the matter. But apparently it seems that NRIs may be facing
certain difficulties in accessing information under the Right to Information
Act."
To read the original The Times of India news in English, go to:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Indians-Abroad/NRIs-face-difficulty-in-availing-RTI-facility/articleshow/4357701.cms
To read the news in Hindi language, go to:
http://hindi-cns.blogspot.com/2009/04/blog-post_06.html
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