When to supply information free of Cost?
30 days after request: Normally, the Public Information Officer (PIO), who received RTI Request shall decide it and supply information to the applicant within 30 days from receipt of RTI request. If further document charges are involved, PIO shall intimate the details of such further charges along with its calculation to the Applicant. Intervening period from the date of decision of PIO and date of actual remittance of document charges by Applicant shall not be counted for the purpose of calculating 30 days for supply of information. In case the public authority did not supply information to the Applicant within 30 days limit, the applicant is entitled to receive information free of cost thereafter.
Third Party Information: Where third party information is involved and the PIO served a notice to that third party, then PIO has time of 40 days to decide the application and supply information to the applicant. In such cases, if the information is not supplied within 40 days from submitting RTI request, the applicant is entitled to receive information free of cost after 40 days.
Below Poverty Line Applicant: An applicant Below Poverty Line (BPL category) is entitled to receive information free of charge, provided the applicant submit proof to establish that he is a BPL applicant.