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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Government has notified rules prescribing the fees and mode of payment of the fees for information requested from public authorities by members of the public under the Right to Information Act.

Accordingly, the application is to be submitted to the State Public Information Officer concerned in the prescribed form along with an application fee of Rs.10. (The application can also be made through the Assistant Public Information Officer).

"The fee should be paid by affixing court fee stamp or by remitting the amount in the Government treasury, by cash against proper receipt in the office of the State Public Information Officer or Assistant Public Information Officer or by demand draft / bankers cheque / pay order payable locally to the State Public Information Officer or Assistant Public Information Officer. Treasury remittance is to be made under the head of account "0070 other administrative services- 60 other services- 800 other receipts- 42 other items."

For information provided, fee will be charged at the rate of Rs.2 for each page in A4 size paper. Actual charge or price will be collected for larger copies, samples, models, maps and the like.

Records can be inspected for no fee for the first hour. A fee of Rs.10 each will be chargeable for every subsequent 30 minutes or parts thereof.

For information provided in diskette or floppy or CD or any other electronic mode, Rs.50 (for each) will be payable. For information provided in printed form, the charge will be Rs.2 for each page or the actual price fixed for the publication.

"These fees shall be collected by way of cash against proper receipt or by remitting the amount in the treasury under the head of account `0070 other administrative services- 60 other services- 800 other receipts- 42 other items' or by demand draft, or bankers' cheque or pay order payable to the concerned State Public Information Officer," the notification said.

No fee is payable by persons below the poverty line (BPL). Such persons shall produce valid certificate along with the application proving that they belong to the BPL category.

The application addressed to the State Public Information Officer (Name of Office/Institution with address) should have (1) full name of the applicant, (2) address, (3) particulars of information required (specify the category of subject also), (4) year to which the information pertains and (5) other relevant reference, if any.

The applicant should sign with place and date below the details presented in the above order.

The Rules supersede provisional orders issued by the Government earlier

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