Hindustan
Times: New Delhi: Monday, 20 July 2015.
A Delhi University
college has asked an RTI applicant for Rs 80,000 to give him details of
purchase of books for the library, saying the information sought was extensive
and the staff would have to work extra hours to process it.
A teacher of
history at College of Vocational Studies, Kumar Ram Krishna suspected
irregularities in buying of books. He filed an RTI application on November 9,
2012, seeking yearly and department-wise details of purchases and also payments
made to book-sellers between April 1, 2003 and November 7, 2012.
“Since the
quantum of workload requires at least 10 days working of the concerned library
staff, an amount of Rs 80,000 may be deposited by the applicant in the college
A/C for making the payment of honorarium and conveyance charges to the staff to
be engaged...,” the college’s public information officer (PIO) wrote back to
Krishna.
Krishna filed
another application, seeking details of the money demanded from him.
The college
librarian, professional assistant and semi-professional assistant were to be
paid Rs 2,000, Rs 1,820 and Rs 1,140, respectively, a day, while library
assistant, senior library attendant and junior library attendant were to be
paid Rs 1,120, Rs 1,050 and Rs 870 per day, respectively, the PIO wrote back.
“There is no
provision for payment of honorarium to college staff working on off days,”
Krishna said, adding he wrote to the principal about the irregularities in
library purchases but no action was taken.
When
contacted, principal Dr Inderjeet said, “This is an old matter. RTIs are
handled by the PIO. You can talk to the PIO.”
The college
can’t ask for Rs 80,000 from the applicant, RTI activist Venkatesh Nayak said.
“It is in complete violation of an October 2009 ruling of the central
information commission (CIC),” he said.
CIC had ruled
that a public authority couldn’t charge anything other than the fee fixed under
the RTI rules, Nayak said.
Terming the
PIO’s reply as evasive and the break-up of Rs 80,000 fee as absurd and
mischievous, Krishna filed an appeal on June 29. “This is an attempt to harass
me and prevent me from obtaining information under RTI Act,” he said.
The PIO
replied on July 2 that the demand for Rs 80,000 had been revoked but said
Krishna would have to pay the fee prescribed under Section 7 of the RTI act.
The officer had quoted Section 7 while asking for Rs 80,000 earlier.
An RTI query
can be sent to any organisation set up or substantially funded by the
government. The applicant has to pay a Rs 10 fee with the application and Rs 2
per page of information sent.
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