Right to Information:

Full Text of RTI Act 2005. Available at http://rti.gov.in/rtiact.htm

Contact details of officers for addressing applications under Right to Information Act, 2005:-

Appellate Authority

Mr. Krishan Kumar Pahel,
Counsellor
hoc.bishkek@mea.gov.in

Central Public Information Officer:

Mr. R.Narayanan
First Secretary
Telephone No.-00996-312-979251
E-mail: pic.bishkek@mea.gov.in

Applications seeking information under the Act may be sent along with the prescribed fee equivalent to Indian Rs.10/- in cheque or demand draft favoring Embassy of India, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

It may be noted that information provided under the Act is available to citizens of India only. Applications should be submitted along with documentary proof of Indian Citizenship (like copy of personal particulars pages of passport). More information is available at http://rti.gov.in

It may also be pointed out that as per section 6(1) (a) of the RTI Act, 2005, a person who desires to obtain information under the Act is required to submit the application to the Information Officer of the “concerned public authority”. Applicants are, therefore, advised to send their requests under the RTI Act to the Embassy only when the subject matter can reasonably be presumed to pertain to the Embassy. While section 6(3) provides for the transfer of an application by a receiving CPIO to another [concerned] CPIO, this is clearly meant to cover situations where the application is addressed to a CPIO on the assumption that it has been directed to the concerned CPIO. Where the information required obviously does not pertain to the Embassy, the application may be addressed to the concerned CPIO directly.

Payment of RTI fee online – Electronic Indian Postal ORDER (eIPO)

The scheme of Electronic Indian Postal Order (eIPO) has been launched by the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, in association with Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). This would enable the Indian citizens abroad to pay the RTI fee online. An Indian Postal Order can be purchased electronically by paying a fee on-line through e-Post Office Portal or through India Post website. The web-links for payment are:

• www.indiapost.gov.in
• https://www.epostoffice.gov.in

The Credit Card or Debit Card of any bank powered by Visa/ Master can be used for this purpose.

Procedure

The RTI applicant is required to register on the website to create his/ her profile. Then he has to select the Ministry/ Department from whom he desires to seek information under the RTI Act. The eIPO is generated which can be used to seek information from that Ministry/ Department only. A printout of the eIPO is required to be attached with the RTI application sent in hard copy. In case RTI application is filed electronically, the eIPO is enclosed as an attachment. The profile is required to be created during the first time only.

The RTI application accompanied by an eIPO is similar in all respects to the RTI application accompanied by fees through any other approved mode. All the provisions regarding eligibility, time limit, exemptions etc; as provided in the RTI Act, 2005 continue to apply.

Currently, this facility is available only for Indian Citizens living anywhere other than in India. By this measure, those living abroad would be facilitated to seek information under the RTI Act, 2005. It is hoped that in future, this facility would be extended to all citizens within the country too. Any public authority which accepts a postal order should also accept an eIPO.

• Annexure I
• Information About the Embassy of India, Bishkek Required Under Section 4(1)(B) of the RTI ACT, 2005