‘Using postage stamps as RTI fee not feasible’

NEW DELHI :  A decision of the Central Information Commission to use postage stamp as fee for information under the Right to Information Act is not legally feasible, a committee has said.
Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha in a written reply that a committee comprising officials from his ministry, the Department of Posts and the CIC went into the issue of using postage stamps as a mode of payment for RTI fee.
The panel found that it is “neither legally feasible nor feasible from accounting point of view”.
He said the report of the committee has been accepted by the “competent authority”.
Singh said the Centre has already launched an online RTI portal for filing applications, including online payment. The facility of electronic India Postal Order has also been put in place.
In August, 2013 a full bench of CIC had urged the Department of Personnel to consider accepting of RTI stamps as a mode of payment of RTI fee and costs. (AGENCIES)