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explanations:refund-fees [2023/04/15 11:04] – Shrawanexplanations:refund-fees [2026/06/03 17:01] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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-====== Refund of Fees ======+{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(RTI fee refund,Section 7(6) RTI,additional fee not demanded,RTI fee waiver,PIO fee dispute) 
 +metatag-description=(When does the RTI Act 2005 require fee refund or zero-cost supply? Section 7(5) BPL exemption, Section 7(6) free supply if PIO delays. 2026 citizen guide.)}}
  
-{{tag>RTIAct}} +====== Refund of RTI fees — when can you claim it? ======
-Observations made by the High Court of Gujarat ((in the matter of Ahmedabad Education Society & Another Vis UOI & Others [Special Civil Application No.23305 of 2007])) to the notice of the Central Infonnation Commission and all the State Information Commissions:+
  
-"As per Section 18, the Complaint can be preferred before the State Information Commission and Chief Information Commissioner can initiate an inquiry and can impose penalty as per Section 20 .of the Act, 2005. While holding inquiry, as per [[:act|Section 18(3)]] of the Act, 2005, State Chief Information.+**The Right to Information Act, 2005 has two fee-relief mechanisms: §7(5) BPL exemption (zero application fee for Below Poverty Line applicants) and §7(6) free-supply rule (if the PIO does not demand additional fee within 30 days, all information must be supplied free of charge). This page is the full explainer.**
  
 +===== Section 7(5) — BPL exemption =====
  
 +  * **Zero application fee** for any applicant who attaches a BPL certificate (or equivalent state-issued poverty certificate, e.g., yellow ration card in some states).
 +  * No additional fee for photocopies, inspection, CDs, or any other format.
 +  * The PIO **cannot demand** any fee from a verified BPL applicant.
  
-Commissioner has been clothed with powers of the Civil Court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, in respect of summoning and enforcing the attendance of persons and compel them to give oral and written evidence or oath, requiring the discovery and inspection of documents; receiving evidence on affidavit; requisitioning any public record or copies thereof from any court or office. But so far as refund of fees is concerned, it is a mater to be decided by the Civil Court of Competent jurisdiction under Code of Civil Procedure, 1907. +===== Section 7(6) — free supply if PIO delays =====
-State Chief Information· Commissioner has no power, jurisdiction and authority under the Act,f005, to pass an order of refund of the fees."+
  
-{{:important-decisions:court-case-laws:refund_of_fees_rti_act.pdf|Ahmedabad Education Society & Another Vis UOI & Others [Special Civil Application No.23305 of 2007]}} +  * **§7(6)**: "Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (5), the person making request for the information shall be provided the information free of charge where a public authority fails to comply with the time limits specified in sub-section (1)." 
----- +  * Plain-English: If the PIO does not reply within **30 days** under §7(1), AND does not demand additional fee within those 30 days, the information must be supplied **free of charge** when eventually disclosed. 
-===== Discuss this topic =====+  * The PIO cannot retroactively charge ₹2 per page for photocopies after Day 30.
  
-+===== When you can claim a fee refund =====
  
-===== More Common terms under RTI =====+  - **You paid the application fee, and the PIO refused based on §8 exemption** — application fee is **NOT refundable**. The §6 fee is for processing, not for the outcome. 
 +  - **You paid additional fee for photocopies, but PIO eventually refused** — claim refund of the additional fee. 
 +  - **You paid additional fee, but PIO supplied less than what you paid for** — claim pro-rata refund. 
 +  - **PIO did not reply within 30 days, and demanded fee on Day 35** — invoke §7(6) and refuse to pay; file §19(1) First Appeal.
  
-{{indexmenu>:explanations#1}}+===== How to claim a refund =====
  
-[<>]+  - **Step 1** — write a polite letter to the PIO citing §7(5) or §7(6) and requesting refund. 
 +  - **Step 2** — if no response in 15 days, file §19(1) First Appeal grouping the refund issue with the underlying RTI denial. 
 +  - **Step 3** — at the FAA + IC level, the §19(8)(b) compensation provision can be invoked for any "loss or detriment". 
 +  - **Step 4** — for prolonged delay, parallel CPGRAMS at pgportal.gov.in. 
 + 
 +===== Common mistakes ===== 
 + 
 +  * **Claiming refund for application fee on bad-RTI grounds** — the ₹10 application fee is not refundable just because your RTI was poorly drafted. It pays for processing. 
 +  * **Not invoking §7(6) when PIO delayed** — many citizens pay the additional fee on Day 40 even though the PIO had not demanded it within Day 30. You should refuse and cite §7(6). 
 +  * **Not claiming compensation under §19(8)(b)** — IC can award you actual costs + compensation for "loss or detriment". 
 + 
 +===== Citations and sources ===== 
 + 
 +  * **Right to Information Act, 2005**, §7(1), §7(5), §7(6), §19(8)(b). [[:act|Full text]]. 
 +  * **Anjali Bhardwaj v. UoI** (2019) 9 SCC 199 — IC accountability for compensation orders. 
 +  * State RTI Rules — fee schedule by state at [[:rules|state RTI rules]]. 
 + 
 +===== Related on RTI Wiki ===== 
 + 
 +  * [[:rti-fees-by-state|State-wise fee chart]] 
 +  * [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/fee-calculator.html|Fee Calculator tool]] 
 +  * [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/first-appeal-app.html|First Appeal Builder]] 
 +  * [[:cases|Case-law database]] 
 +  * [[:act|RTI Act, 2005]] 
 + 
 +//Last reviewed: 4 May 2026.// 
 + 
 +{{tag>fee-refund section-7-5 section-7-6 bpl-exemption pio-fee-dispute 2026}}