PWD demands Rs 50 per page for replying to an RTI query
13 Sept 2014 5:26 AM IST
Delhi government’s Public Works Department (PWD) has reportedly demanded a seemingly outlandish amount for providing an RTI reply. RTI applicant Manish Bhatnagar had sought information from the PWD about construction of a science lab and eight rooms in a Delhi government-run school in Ambedkar Nagar three months ago.
He waited for more than a month for a reply from the PWD. On 27 July, the department sent him a letter demanding Rs 22,600, apparently for printing or photocopying a 452-page report.
When Bhatnagar requested for a query, the PWD officer said in his reply: ‘We request you to kindly deposit Rs 22,600 at the rate of Rs 50 per page, through pay order or demand draft to ‘In Favour of Executive Engineer, CBMD M-422, New Delhi’ at the earliest.’
He has already filed a complaint with the Commissioner of Police and with the Central Information Commission (CIC).
According to rules of RTI Act, 2005, the government authorities can only charge Rs 2 per page for each A3 or A4 size paper. The concerned documents are in possession with Millennium Post.
Bhatnagar told Millennium Post: ‘I had overheard that the principal of the school had complained against the PWD contractor for discrepancies in the building. I had demanded every minute details of construction of the building.’
Meanwhile, on 2 July, before the letter of the PWD, a person posing as police personnel allegedly called Bhatnagar and threatened to teach him a lesson if he proceeds with the RTI against the contractor of the school building of Ambedkar Nagar.
‘The person claimed that he is a policeman and accused me of a hilarious charge of stealing confidential documents and attaching it with the RTI. I tried to call the police but no one picked up the call at the emergency number. Then I filed a written complaint through e-mail to the Police Commissioner and gave details about the incident,’ he said.
Bhatnagar has filed a complaint with the first appellate authority — Superintending Engineer, CBMD, M-42, PWD, Sukhdev Vihar.
‘If the department does not reply and the police do not take action against the culprits, I will file a case in the court,’ he said.
He waited for more than a month for a reply from the PWD. On 27 July, the department sent him a letter demanding Rs 22,600, apparently for printing or photocopying a 452-page report.
When Bhatnagar requested for a query, the PWD officer said in his reply: ‘We request you to kindly deposit Rs 22,600 at the rate of Rs 50 per page, through pay order or demand draft to ‘In Favour of Executive Engineer, CBMD M-422, New Delhi’ at the earliest.’
He has already filed a complaint with the Commissioner of Police and with the Central Information Commission (CIC).
According to rules of RTI Act, 2005, the government authorities can only charge Rs 2 per page for each A3 or A4 size paper. The concerned documents are in possession with Millennium Post.
Bhatnagar told Millennium Post: ‘I had overheard that the principal of the school had complained against the PWD contractor for discrepancies in the building. I had demanded every minute details of construction of the building.’
Meanwhile, on 2 July, before the letter of the PWD, a person posing as police personnel allegedly called Bhatnagar and threatened to teach him a lesson if he proceeds with the RTI against the contractor of the school building of Ambedkar Nagar.
‘The person claimed that he is a policeman and accused me of a hilarious charge of stealing confidential documents and attaching it with the RTI. I tried to call the police but no one picked up the call at the emergency number. Then I filed a written complaint through e-mail to the Police Commissioner and gave details about the incident,’ he said.
Bhatnagar has filed a complaint with the first appellate authority — Superintending Engineer, CBMD, M-42, PWD, Sukhdev Vihar.
‘If the department does not reply and the police do not take action against the culprits, I will file a case in the court,’ he said.
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