New Delhi: Narendra Modi government has proposed new norms for RTI, 2017 on DoPT (The department of personnel and training) website, with an aim to replace RTI rules, 2012 and has also asked for public opinion in the comment box till 15 April. The new rule sets 500-word limit for applications and also demand higher fee to seek the information. It also seeks to close the right to information after the applicant’s death. Also, the new set of rules include the appeals to be filed online. Not only this, it now asks the applicant to bear the postal charges for sending the information required, which until now was paid by the government.

The new draft also states that, “The Commission may in its discretion allow a prayer for any amendment of a complaint during the course of its hearing, including conversion of the complaint into second appeal, if available remedies have been exhausted, on a prayer made by the complainant,”. Now the time limit for filing complaints is within 135 days of filing the RTI application, failing which the complaint should be accompanied with the request for the extension of the prescribed period.

However, the activists aren’t happy with any of the new norms suggested. “The intention is clear. The government wants to make getting information difficult as the draft rules empower public authorities more than citizens,” right to information (RTI) activist Lokesh Batra said.