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| BDO forces applicant to pay advance xerox fee | | Seeking details of MGNREGA works | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, May 14: The Block Development Officer (BDO) Pattan in Baramulla district who is also the designated Public Information Officer (PIO) under J&K RTI Act 2009 has allegedly forced an information seeker to pay advance xerox fees of Rs 10,000 for getting information about works executed under MGNREGA , IAY and several other schemes.
Information seeker alleged that BDO has not even prepared the information and information sought falls under section 4 wherein it was to be made voluntarily available by the officials but it has not been done which is also violation of RTI Act.
Details available with Early Times reveals that one Irfan Ahmad Mir a resident of Tilgam Pattan filed an application before BDO Pattan more than 42 days back. The information was to be provided within 30 days. When information seeker went to collect the information in BDO office on Monday, the officer allegedly tried to pressurize the information seeker by asking him to pay Rs 10,000 as advance amount for Xerox fees.
"I wanted information about various developmental schemes executed by Rural Development Department (RDD) which is marred by corruption and nepotism . On one hand CIC stresses on seeking information on developmental issues but on the other hand we are denied the same. After expiry of 30 days information is to be provided free of cost as per the provisions of J&K RTI Act 2009. Even after 42 days information was not ready and just to harass me the BDO asked me to pay Rs10,000 as Xerox fees for the information which wasn't even prepared" said Irfan Ahmad Mir while talking to Early Times.
As reported earlier another Below Poverty Line (BPL) information seeker namely Balwan Singh from Arnas Reasi was asked to pay more than Rs 19000 as xerox fees for getting information which otherwise was to be provided free of cost. The calculation was made @ Rs 10 / copy which as per RTI rules is to be calculated @ Rs 2/- per page only. After filing first appeal before Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD) the First Appellate Authority (FAA) , BDO was directed to provide the same free of cost, but the BDO did not adhere to the same which forced the RTI applicant to pay the Xerox fees. Finally after SIC intervention information was provided to the RTI applicant. |
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