The
Hindu: Bangalore: Wednesday, 28 January 2015.
The cost of
seeking information under the Right To Information (RTI) Act, 2005 has doubled
during the past few weeks. This is due to the simple reason that there is no
stock of the postal order with a face value of Rs. 10 in the city from where a
large number of citizens and activists seek information from various government
departments.
An
application under the RTI Act necessitates a fee of Rs. 10, usually made
through a postal order, which is available in post offices. However, officials
at General Post Office (GPO), Bengaluru say they do not have stock of postal
orders of face value of Rs. 10. Activists are being directed to buy a Rs. 20
postal order.
RTI activist
B.M. Shivakumar said that the problem began about three months ago. “I have
been using Rs. 20 postal orders for the past two months. An additional
expenditure of Rs. 10 is not the issue. Why should we pay more when the RTI Act
stipulates only Rs. 10?”
Another RTI
activist Ganesh B. Koundinya, said that the whole point of the RTI Act was to
bring in accountability, but the postal department is playing truant.
“In most post
offices, we are directed to buy a postal order of higher denomination without a
satisfactory explanation,” he said.
Chief Post
Master, Bengaluru GPO, A.K. Hanjura told The Hindu that they have run out of
Rs. 10 postal orders. “Postal orders can be printed only by India Security
Press, Nashik. The Karnataka circle has placed an indent with the press. We are
expecting fresh stock by February-end,” he said.
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