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Department of posts says no to RTI stamps
8/4/2016 11:12:06 PM
Early Times Report

Srinagar, Aug 4: Inspite of repeated orders from Central Information Commission (CIC) , the Postal Department is yet to issue RTI stamps enabling information seekers to pay application fees using this mode which otherwise is too hectic under the present set of rules wherein postal orders , DD's and cash is paid along with RTI applications.
A committee set up by the Department of Posts has rejected repeated recommendations in various CIC-verdicts which was even endorsed by Chief Information Commissioner to issue RTI stamps. This would replace present most popular mode of payment of RTI-fees/copying-charges through Indian Postal-Orders (IPOs) . Committee's recommendations are despite confessing high cost of handling postal-orders. While earlier committee to consider issue of RTI stamps consisted of officers from Central Information Commission (CIC) and Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT). The recent committee having submitted report on 21.07.2016 consisted of officers from Department of Posts only.
"Stake-holders ( RTI activists ) should have also been included in the committee. The said Committee was even silent on mode of payment for copying charges in fractions of rupees ten with postal-orders of denominations below rupees ten now discontinued" said Subhas Chader Aggarwal noted RTI activist from Delhi
The Committee observed that heavy stock of 3960400 postal-orders of rupees ten denomination for handling about 750000 RTI petitions annually as another reason for not issuing RTI stamps, apart from accounting problems. Cost incurred on printing such heavy stock of postal-orders should have been saved by taking timely decision to induce some other economical and convenient mode for payment of RTI fees.
"Even if sheets of RTI-stamps are printed in three denominations of rupees 2, 10 and 50 for about 150000 post-offices, total 450000 stamp-sheets will be initially required with a total cost of about rupees 27 lakhs at cost of rupees 6.01 per stamp-sheet. Taking reserve-stock of say two additional sets, total cost on printing of stamp-sheets in three denominations for 450000 sheets will be rupees about rupees 81 lakhs which will be far-far less than rupees four crores presently spent annually in handling postal-orders submitted for . In the meanwhile postal-orders should have line 'Payable at par at all post-offices' instead of user requiring to fill name of post-office where postal-order requires to be paid like is now done in cheque-books issued not only by banks but even by post-offices..remitting RTI-fees/copying-charges apart from huge amount spent in clearing-operation by banks" Subhash Chander Aggarwal added
RTI activists have appealed that Department of Posts should now consider other option to issue serial-numbered RTI coupons in denominations of rupees 2, 10 and 50, with postal-orders also continued to be a mode of payment of RTI-fees/copying-charges. These coupons can be submitted by public-authorities annually to concerned accounting-section without requiring any bank-clearing like is required in case of postal-orders. It will also ease clearing-operations of banks presently overburdened by huge number of postal-orders submitted for payment of RTI-fees/copying-charges.
Pertinent to mention that lack of postal orders in J&K is creating lots of problems for information seekers intending to seek information underRTI Act. Earlier the General Post Office (GPO) Srinagar provided a misleading information to an RTI Activist wherein the Senior Postmaster has informed in writing that information under RTI Act cannot be provided in an excel format. Information seeker Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat had filed an application under Central RTI Act 2005 before PIO of General Post Office (GPO) Srinagar on 11.6.2016 seeking details about the number of Indian Postal Orders of Rs 10 denomination supplied to various post offices from June 2015 to May 2016 ? The post offices about which information was sought included Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar, Natipora, Rambagh, Bagh e Mehtab, Chadoora, Wathoora, Budgam, Beerwah, Khag, Charar I Sharief, Khansahib, Gurez, Bandipora, Sumbal, Rainawari, Hazratbal, Shalimar, Eid Gah, Safakadal, Ganderbal, Lar, Kangan, Shopian, Pulwama, Pampore, Raj Pora, Mattan, Achabal, Pahalgam.
Information seeker had filed RTI application to know the details ofpostal orders being send to aforementioned post offices. It is alleged that most of the post offices hardly have Rs 10 Indian Postal Orders (IPO) available which is a mode of fees to be paid under RTI Act 2005
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