State Level RTI : Assam

What We do

State Level RTI : Assam


Law

Assam was until recently the only state in the North East which had enacted right to information legislation. The passage of the Assam Right to Information Act 2002came as a surprise to most. The State Act was brought in so quietly that there was hardly any discussion on its content.

In any case, in May 2005, the national Right to Information Act 2005 was passed by Parliament. The RTI Act 2005 received Presidential assent on 15 June and came fully into force on 12 October 2005. (For more information on the passage of the Act and implementation at the national level, click here.) The RTI Act 2005 covers all Central, State and local government bodies and will apply to public authorities in Assam.

It is not clear at this time whether the Assam RTI Act will be repealed to make way for the national RTI Act. The Assam Government has started implementing the RTI Act 2005. The Government has issued Assam Right to Information Fee Rules, 2005.

For a list of Public Information Officers and Appellate Authorities designated by the State Government, click here.

Details of Fee & Costs

Application

Rs 10

Mode of payment

Cash against receipt/ demand draft/ bankers' cheque

Additional Fees:

(A-4 / A-3 ) paper created or photo copies

Rs 2 per page

Large size paper

Actual cost

Sample or models

Actual cost

Floppy/diskette

Rs 50 per item

Inspection of records

1st hour free and Rs 5 for each subsequent 15 mins.

Publication and printed form

Actual cost fixed and Rs 2 per page of photocopy and information in printed form

Second Appeals and complaints against non-disclosure of information may be filed with the Assam State Information Commission.

State Information Commission Contact Details

State Information Commissioner
Jonakee Complex
Shilpgram Road
Panjabari, Guwahati- 781037
Phone No.
0361-2332704, 2337900, 2331193
Email: secretary.sicassam@gov.in 

Website: http://www.sicassam.in/

Newsupdates, Advocacy & Activities

  • The North East Network (NEN) in collaboration with CHRI organised a Workshop on the new Right to Information Act 2005 for the North Eastern States of India in Guwahati from 23-24 August 2005. The Workshop Reporthighlights the key sessions and discussions that took place at the workshop.

Resources & Articles

Government

CHRI

  • CHRI (2005) Report of Workshop on Right to Information for the North Eastern States of India, Guwahati, 23-24 August.
  • CHRI (2005) Forwarding Information Requests and Appeals: A Step by Step Guide for Assistant Public Information Officers under the Right to Information Act 2005, prepared by Mr Venkatesh Nayak.
  • CHRI (2005) Processing Information Requests: A Step by Step Guide for Assistant Public Information Officers under the Right to Information Act 2005, prepared by Mr Venkatesh Nayak.

Miscellaneous

Links