If the information requested by a citizen has already been proactively disclosed can a PIO refuse to accept the request?
(Last edited: Wednesday, 18 January 2023, 2:15 PM)
Answer:
No. There is nothing in the RTI Act that states that information disclosed proactively should not be provided to a citizen on request. Section 4(4) requires that all materials disseminated under this Act should be available with the PIO and as far as possible in electronic format. The purpose behind this requirement is that the citizen need not wait for 30 days to get access to information that is already being proactively disseminated. If available in a printed format the PIO may make copies of the same or provide photocopies of the relevant pages to the citizen. If such information is available only in electronic format, the same may be provided on floppies, diskettes, CDs, or in the form of printouts upon payment of fees at rates prescribed by the Government.
