This office memorandum from the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions addresses the designation of Central Assistant Public Information Officers (CAPIOs) as mandated by Section 5(2) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. Public authorities are required to designate these officers at sub-divisional or sub-district levels within 100 days of the Act’s enactment to receive information applications and appeals, forwarding them to the Central Public Information Officer. Given that many public authorities may not have offices at these levels, the Department of Posts has been approached to provide CAPIO services. The Department of Posts requires the addresses of nodal officers/central points in each Ministry/Organisation that need their services. Ministries and Departments are urged to promptly provide the details of their designated CAPIOs and nodal officers for receiving RTI correspondence. They are also requested to inform other public authorities under their purview to take urgent action on this matter.
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No. 34012/13(S)/2005-Estt. (B)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
(Department of Personnel and Training)
New Delhi, Dated the $6^{\text {th }}$ October, 2005
OFFICE MEMRANDUM
Sub. : Designation of Central Assistant Public Information Officers (CAPIOs) by the public authorities under Section 5 (2) of the Right to Information Act, 2005.
The under signed is directed to say that Section 5 (2) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 provides that every public authority shall designate an officer within 100 days of the enactment of this Act, at each sub-divisional or other sub-district level as a Central Assistant Public Information Officer to receive the applications for information or appeals under this Act for forwarding the same forthwith to the Central Public Information Officer or senior officer specified under sub-section (1) of section 19 or the Central Information Commission, as the case may be.
2. Since a number of public authorities do not have offices located at each sub-divisional level or sub-district level, the matter was taken up with the Department of Posts to provide the services of their Central Assistant Public Information Officers (CAPIOs) to function in that capacity for all public authorities under the Central Government.
3. In this connection Department of Posts require urgently the addresses of the nodal officers/central point in each Ministry/Organisation in need of their services as CAPIOs. The Department of Posts have also indicated that they will be in a position to undertake the work only on behalf of those Ministries who have completed this action and have informed them of the same. Ministries/Departments are, therefore, requested to indicate the details of the Central Public Information Officers designated by them as well as the nodal officers/central point in their Department to receive the RTI mails (application etc. forwarded by the CAPIOs) to the Department of Posts urgently.
4. Ministries/Departments are also requested to bring the above position to the notice of other public authorities coming under the preview of the Ministries/Departments concerned for urgent action by them.
(T.Jacob)
Joint Secretary to the Government of India
To
All Ministries/Departments of the Government of India (Secretaries by name).