No.F. 1/5/2011-IR
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, PG \& Pension
Department of Personnel \& Training

North Block, New Delhi
Dated April 26, 2011
To

1. The Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs (except J\&K)
2. The Registrars of all High Courts
3. The Registrar of the Supreme Court

Subject:- Harmonization of fee payable under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

Sir,
Sections 27 and 28 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 empower the appropriate Governments and the Competent Authorities to make rules to prescribe, inter-alia, the fees payable under the Act. In exercise of the powers, the Central Government, State Governments, High Courts etc. have notified rules. It has been observed that the fee prescribed by different appropriate Governments/Competent Authorities is at great variance.
2. The $2^{\text {nd }}$ Administrative Retorms Commission has, in this regard recommended that the States should frame Rules regarding application fee in harmony with the Central Rules and ensure that the fee should not become a disincentive for using the right to information.
3. All the States/Competent Authorities are, therefore, requested to kindly review their Fee Rules and to prescribe fee in consonance with the fee prescribed by the Government of India. A copy of the Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005 notified by the Government of India is enclosed for ready reference.
4. Kindly inform us of the action taken in this regard.# MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIE VANCES AND PENSIONS

(Department of Personnel and Training)

New Delhi, the 16th September, 2005

G.S.R. 336.—In exercise of the powers conferred by clauses (b) and (c) of sub-section (2) of Section 27 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 (22 of 2005), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules, namely:

1. Short title and commencement.—(1) These rules may be called the Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005.

(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

1. Definitions—In the rules, unless the context otherwise requires,—

   (a) ‘Act’ means the Right to Information Act, 2005;

   (b) ‘section’ means section of the Act;

   (c) all other words and expressions used herein but not defined and defined in the Act shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Act.

2. A request for obtaining information under sub-section (1) of Section 6 shall be accompanied by an application fee of rupees ten by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft or bankers cheque payable to the Accounts Officer of the public authority.

3. For providing the information under sub-section (1) of Section 7, the fee shall be charged by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft or bankers cheque payable to the Accounts Officer of the public authority at the following rates:—

   (a) rupees two for each page (in A-4 or A-3 size paper) created or copied;

   (b) actual charge or cost price of a copy in larger size paper;

   (c) actual cost or price for samples or models; and

   (d) for inspection of records, no fee for the first hour, and a fee of rupees five for each fifteen minutes (or fraction thereof) thereafter.

4. For providing the information under sub-section (5) of Section 7, the fee shall be charged by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft or bankers cheque payable to the Accounts Officer of the public authority at the following rates:—

   (a) for information provided in diskette or floppy rupees fifty per diskette or floppy; and

   (b) for information provided in printed form at the price fixed for such publication or rupees two per page or photocopy for extracts from the publication.

[F. No. 34012/B(S)/2005-EST (B)]

HARI KUMAR, Director# MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS

(Department of Personnel and Training)

NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 27th October, 2005
G.S.R. 649(E)-In exercise of the powers conferred by clauses (b) and (c) of Sub-section (2) of Section 27 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 ( 22 of 2005), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules to amend the Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005, namely :-

1. Short title and commencement.-(1) These rules may be called the Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) (Amendment) Rules, 2005.
   (2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005, in rule 4, for clause (d), the following clause shall be substituted, namely :-
   ” $(d)$ for inspection of records, no fee for the first hour; and a fee of rupees five for each subsequent hour (or fraction thereof).”
   [F. No. 34012/8(S)/2005-Eatt. (B)]
   T. JACOB, Jt. Secy.

Note :-The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India vide Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (Department of Personnel and Training) notification No. 34012/8(S)/2005-Eatt.(B) dated 16th September, 2005 [No. G.S.R. 336 dated 1st October, 2005, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i)].# MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS

(Department of Pteronnel \& Traising)

NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 17th May, 2006
G.S.R. 294(E)-In exercise of the powers conferred by clauses (b) and (c) of Sub-section (2) of Section 27 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 ( 22 of 2005), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005, namely :-

1. Short Title and Commencement.-(1) These rules may be called the Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Amendment Rules, 2006.
   (2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005,-
   (a) in rule 3, after the words “bankers cheque”, the words “or Indian Postal Order” shall be inserted;
   (b) in rule 4, after the words “bankers cheque”, the words “or Indian Postal Order” shall be inserted;
   (c) in rule 5, after the words “bankers cheque”, the words “or Indian Postal Order” shall be inserted;
   [F.No. 34012/8(S)/2005-Estr. (B)]
   C. B. PALIWAL, It. Secy.

Note :-The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), dated the 1st October, 2005 vide number G.S.R. 336 dated the 16th September, 2005 and were amended vide number G.S.R. 649(E) dated the 27 th October, 2005.