Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005 (as applicable to Puducherry)

Response Timeline

30 days under RTI Act 2005, s.7(1). Life or liberty: 48 hours. Puducherry is a UT with legislature (elected assembly) and thus has its own public authorities under the RTI Act. The fee is Rs.10 payable by cash, court fee stamp, DD, banker's cheque, or IPO. IMPORTANT: The Puducherry State Information Commission (SIC) was abolished on 31 Jul 2007. As a UT, Puducherry cannot legally maintain an SIC. Second appeals now go to the Central Information Commission (CIC) in New Delhi. BPL applicants are exempt from all fees.

Exemptions

• Information affecting sovereignty, integrity, security, or relations with foreign states (s.8(1)(a))
• Information expressly forbidden by court or which would constitute contempt (s.8(1)(b))
• Information whose disclosure is prohibited by Parliament/Legislature (s.8(1)(c))
• Cabinet papers including deliberations of the Council of Ministers (s.8(1)(i))
• Trade secrets or commercial confidence causing competitive harm (s.8(1)(d))
• Information held in fiduciary capacity (s.8(1)(e))
• Information received in confidence from a foreign government (s.8(1)(f))
• Information that would impede investigation, prosecution, or fair trial (s.8(1)(g),(h))
• Personal information with no public interest justification (s.8(1)(j))

Exemptions mirror RTI Act 2005 ss.8-9. Notwithstanding any exemption, information that cannot be denied to Parliament/Legislature cannot be denied to a citizen (s.8(2)). Public interest override applies (s.8(2)).

Appeal Process

Puducherry SIC abolished 31 Jul 2007. Second appeals go to the Central Information Commission (cic.gov.in). The Right to Information and Appeal Rules 2005 were notified by the Central Government for Puducherry.

Sources & References

• Full text of law →
• Primary source →
• https://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/content/state-level-rti-puducherry
• https://cic.gov.in/