Indian Postal Order and eIPO for RTI Application Fees

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7 years ago

You can now pay RTI Fees through eIPO i.e. online, without having to purchase a physical IPO from the post office. See below for more.

What is an Indian Postal Order?

An Indian Postal Order is a useful way of sending and receiving small amounts of money from / to any corner of India.

The Indian Postal Order is especially useful in making payments for an application under the Right to Information Act, to make a payment to the Authority you are seeking information from.

An Indian Postal Order can be used only for making RTI payment to a Central Government Department. For State Government Departments, see their RTI Rules. Eg: In Maharashtra, Court Fee Stamps are accepted.

This article will help you understand how to purchase, fill and submit the Postal Order, along with your RTI Application.

Where is the Indian Postal Order available for purchase?

The IPO can be purchased from any Head or Sub-Post Office in India or any post office specially authorized for this purpose. This includes Army Post Offices.

You can also search for a post office through this link: https://www.indiapost.gov.in/Pin/

What are the denominations available for purchase?

The IPO is available in 6 denominations. You need to pay a commission amount on the IPO’s purchased by you.

Rs. 0.50
Re. 1
Rs. 2
Rs. 5
Rs. 7
Rs. 10
Rs. 20
Rs. 50
Rs. 100

Commission Rates:

upto Rs. 10 = Re. 1
upto Rs. 20 = Rs. 2
upto Rs. 30 = Rs. 3
upto Rs. 40 = Rs. 4
upto Rs. 50 = Rs. 5
upto Rs. 100 = Rs. 10

RTI Applicants must check the fee amount they need to pay. It is usually Rs. 10/- per application, but you must verify the latest applicable fees.

What details are to be written on the IPO?

You need to fill in:

Name of the Payee (person to whom the payment is to be made)
Office of Payment (Post Office which is most convenient to the Payee. If not known then district, town or city maybe specified. It is not mandatory to put this in, but is useful if the IPO is lost)

Also fill in the same details on the counterfoil.

Tear the counterfoil and keep it, before you submit the IPO with the application.

For RTI Applications, if you are unaware of what details to write, leave the IPO Blank, but mention the IPO Number within your application letter.

It would also be useful to take a photocopy of the IPO, before sending.

For how long is the IPO valid?

The IPO is valid for a period of 6 months.

The 6 month period is calculated from the last date of the month in which it was issued.

Eg: If the IPO was issued on 5-Jan-2011, then it will be valid for 6 months from 31-Jan-2011.

The IPO can be renewed beyond this period of 6 months, for an additional 6 months, by paying the commission amount due on it.

How can I encash the postal order?

The IPO must be within the duration specified above, it must contain the payees name and the Post Office name.

To encash the valid postal order, it must be presented at the counter of the Post Office mentioned, by the payee himself.

Can I cancel the IPO?

Yes. You can return the IPO to the same Post Office from where it was issued. You will get a refund of the entire amount of the IPO, not the commission amount.

What is an eIPO?