Kashmir Reader: Srinagar: Wednesday, June 27, 2018.
In violation
of the Right to Information (RTI) act, the Education department has asked an
activist to pay printing fee at the rate of Rs 10 per page, which is five times
the notified rate of Rs 2.
The office of
the Zonal Education Officer Khag in Budgam district has asked the applicant to
pay Rs 690 for 69 copies as printing charges for the information sought.
The RTI
activist Nazir Lone had sought information about the Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT)
teachers who had been deputed to other districts, total number of ReTs working
in Khag zone, training programmes organised for these teachers, and revenue
realised from schools operating in the zone.
“The
information for which you have requested under RTI Act an amount of Rs 690 for
69 computer copies is required for the printing of the information, so you may
submit the computer charges as early as possible so that we may provide the
desired information to you in the stipulated time,” reads the response sent by
the office.
Lone said
that according to the act a person is supposed to pay Rs 2 per page only when
the information in provided within 30 days.
“I filed an
application on April 4, I was supposed to receive its response in May,” Lone
said. “But I received information on June 21 more than two-and-half months
after I had filed it.”
“As per the
RTI law, I am supposed to pay Rs 2 only when the response is given in 30 days.
If the office fails to produce the information within this time, I am not
liable to pay anything,” he added.
Lone said the
office’s response shows the intensity of their ignorance about the law.
“I have now
filed another application before first appellate and will raise the issue their
too,” he added.
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