Guide For The Central Public Information Officers
Time Period for Supply of Information
- The CPIO should supply the information within thirty days of the receipt of the request. Where the information sought for concerns the life or liberty of a person, the same should be provided within forty-eight hours of the receipt of the request.
- Every Public authority is required to designate an officer at each sub-divisional level or other sub-district level as a Central Assistant Public Information Officer (CPAIO) to receive the applications or appeals under the Act for forwarding the same to the Central Public Information Officer or the first Appellate Authority or the Central Information Commission. If request for information is received through the CAPIO, the information may be provided within 35 days or receipt of application by the CAPIO in normal course and 38 hours plus 5 days in case the information sought concerns the life or liberty of person.
- In case of an application transferred from one public authority to another public authority, as referred to in para 21, reply should be provided by the concerned public authority within 30 days of the receipt of the application by that public authority in normal course and within 38 hours in case the information sought concerns the life or liberty of a person.
- The Central Public Information Officers of the intelligence and security organizations specified in the Second Schedule of the Act may receive applications seeking information pertaining to allegations of corruption and human right violations. Information in respect of allegations of violation of human rights, which is provided only after the approval of the Central Information Commission, should be provided within forty-five days from the date of the receipt of request. Time limit prescribed for supplying information in regard to allegations of corruption is the same as in other cases.
- Where the applicant is asked to pay additional fee, the period intervening between the dispatch of the intimation about payment of fee and the payment of fee by the applicant shall be excluded for the purpose of calculation the period of reply. The following table shows the maximum time which may be taken to dispose off the application in different situations:
| Situation | Time limit for disposing off applications |
|---|---|
| Supply of information in normal course. | 30 days |
| Supply of information if it concerns the life or liberty of a person | 38 hours |
| Supply of information if the application is received through CAPIO. | 05 days shall be added to the time period indicated at Sr. No. 1a and 2. |
Supply of information if application/request is received after transfer from another public authority:
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Supply of information of information by organizations specified in the Second Schedule:
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| Supply of information if it relates to third party and the third party has treated it as confidential. | Should be provided after following the procedure given in para 37 to 31 of these guidelines. |
| Supply of information where the applicant is asked to pay additional fee. | The period intervening between informing the applicant about additional fee and the payment of fee by the applicant shall be excluded for calculating the period of reply. |
If the CPIO fails to give decision on the request for information within the prescribed period, the Central Public Information Officer shall be deemed to have refused the request. It is pertinent to note that if a public authority fails to comply with the specified time limit, the information to the concerned applicant would have to be provided free of charge.