a. PIO shall deal with RTI requests/applications from persons seeking information and where the request cannot be made in writing, to render reasonable assistance to the person to reduce the same in writing.
b. If the information requested for is held by or its subject matter is closely connected with the function of another public authority, the PIO shall transfer, within 5 days, the request to that other public authority and inform the applicant immediately.
c. PIO may seek the assistance of any other officer of his/her office for the proper discharge of his/her duties. Such other officers shall be treated as referred PIO.
d. PIO, on receipt of a request/application, shall as expeditiously as possible, and in any case within 30 days of the receipt of the request, either provide the information on payment of such fee as may be prescribed or reject the request for any of the reasons specified in Form-C of Orissa RTI Rules, 2005.
e. Where the information requested for concerns the life or liberty of a person, the same shall be provided within 48 hours of the receipt of the request/application.
f. Where a request has been rejected, the PIO shall communicate to the requester in Form-C as prescribed in Orissa RTI Rules, 2005.
g. PIO shall provide information in the form in which it is sought for unless it would disproportionately divert the resources of the Public Authority or would be detrimental to the safety or preservation of the record in question.
h. If allowing partial access, the PIO shall give a notice to the applicant, informing:
- that only part of the record requested, after severance of the record containing information which is exempt from disclosure, is being provided;
- the reasons for the decision, including any findings on any material question of fact, referring to the material on which those findings were based;
- the name and designation of the person giving the decision;
- the details of the fees calculated by him or her and the amount of fee which the applicant is required to deposit will be communicated in Form-B.
i. If information sought has been supplied by third party or is treated as confidential by that third party, the PIO shall give a written notice to the third party within 5 days from the receipt of the request and take its representation into consideration.
j. Third party must be given a chance to make a representation before the PIO within 10 days from the date of receipt of such notice.
k. PIO shall make update the proactive disclosure and e-filing of applications at RTI CMM Public Authority Account in regular interval. So that, the system will update the Information Register, Cash Register and Appeal Register automatically. And the Annual Report can be generated by a single click.
l. The PIO will be the custodian of these records as well as the User ID and Password given to him/her on RTI CMM Public Authority Account and on his transfer he will handover the charge to his successor. The Public Information Officer and his successor will sign in the Register as token of handing over and taking over of the charges. He/she must ensure the update of profile of PIO in the said Public Authority Account.
m. PIOs are required to open a Subsidiary Cash Book as prescribed by the Nodal Department. (See Annexure � 1)
n. The PIOs shall open a Zero Invest Bank A/c in his designation in the nearest scheduled Bank and deposit the total amount received towards application fees in cash as well as amount towards cost for providing information in a day in the Bank account in the very next day.
o. The amount received towards application fees in cash during the month and deposited in the Bank A/c shall be calculated at the end of the month. The amount so calculated shall be deposited through treasury chalan in the Treasury in the receipt head of A/c in the 1st week of the succeeding month. The Receipt Head of A/c is "0070-Other Administrative Services-60-other Services-118-Receipt Under Right to Information Act, 2005-0014-Collection of Fees and Fines-02178-Fees and Fines under Right to Information Act, 2005". The treasury chalan shall accompany with a cheque issued against the deposit of the Bank A/c of the concerned P.I.O.
p. Standard procedures for maintaining Cash Book may be followed. Two pages of the Cash Book facing each other will reflect the receipts on one side and the expenditure on the other.
q. PIOs shall weekly verify the Bank A/c and Cash Book regarding the correctness of transaction of money between Cash Book and Bank Account.
r. All receipts and expenditure should be reflected on the Cash Book, with full particulars.
s. If the information is not available with the PIO and has to be brought from other Officer with whom it is available the PIO should immediately send a copy of the request to the concerned Officer with the request to furnish the information expeditiously.