File RTI applications and pay fees online
THE RTI Act, 2005 is one of the best things that happened to the country more than seven years ago. Though the ten rupee note had the power to stir a hornet's nest, yet paying the application fee of rupees ten was a pain on occasions. A new beginning has been made. Gone are days when you had to trudge to the Post office for that elusive Rs.10 postal order or to the Bank and get that Demand draft/bankers cheque or go to the office of the CPIO and pay the application fees of Rs.10/- in cash. Not all the public authorities have the facility for receiving application fees through electronic means, so an applicant had to follow the other prescribed modes.
The Department of Personnel and Training which acts as nodal department for the implementation of transparency law in the country has created a portal www.rtionline.gov.in with an aim to help people exercise their right to seek information through online medium.
This is a portal to file RTI applications/first appeals online along with payment gateway. Payment of application fee of Rs.10/- can be made through internet banking of SBI & its associate banks and debit/credit cards of Master/Visa. Through this portal, RTI applications/first appeals can be filed by Indian Citizens only for the main ministries/departments of Central Govt., located at New Delhi.
It is clarified that RTI applications/first appeals should not be filed for other Public authorities under Central/State Govt. through this portal.
DDT hopes that other Public authorities would soon join the bandwagon.