Man uses RTI to keep babus on toes


Hyderabad, Oct. 28: Gangadhar, a resident of Ongole, is keeping State officials on tenterhooks by his incessant demand for information under the Right to Information Act. This conscientious “common man” has literally become a pain in the neck for many government agencies from which he has sought voluminous information under the RTI Act, which officials find difficult to deliver.

The 36-year-old is present everywhere, from gram panchayat to the mandal office and district collectorate to the Secretariat, seeking information of various kinds. He wants details of audit objections raised on government spending, telephone bills of district collectors and other top officials, steps taken for redressal of public grievances and sundry other things.

He has also applied for personnel registers, complaints and action taken reports in corruption cases, procedures of promotions, registered tappals, inward and outward registers of files and the like.“I want to make officials aware of the need to keep all such information ready for public scrutiny,” says Gangadhar, when asked why he seeks all this information. “This will teach them accountability.”

Gangadhar has the strong belief that it is officials who run things and not people’s representatives. What hurts him most is the callous attitude of government employees who should be the servants of the people and instead behave like masters.

“The roots of corruption in government offices can be traced to the way the staff clears files,” he says. “We can easily make it out.” The determined Gangadhar has so far filed 300 applications seeking information out of which more than 200 reached the State Information Commission after officials failed to provide the data within the stipulated time.

Though most officials consider Gangadhar a nuisance, State Information Commissioner R. Dilip Reddy feels he has done something positive. “I noticed that several government offices in Ongole met the basic requirements of the RTI Act because of him,” says the SIC. Mr Dilip Reddy adds that in several districts, officials are working on how to provide Gangadhar with information and this is an indication of the official machinery realising the power of the RTI Act.

But the SIC also cautions that seeking irrelevant information may destroy the very purpose of the RTI Act. Gangadhar, however, claims that his questions have had a positive impact. Prakasam district administration started addressing public grievances seriously after he applied for the information, he says.

The director-general of police sent orders to all the district superintendents of police to set up appellate authorities after he brought the issue to the former’s notice, the passionate information seeker adds. “There are audit objections worth Rs 20,000 crore pending in the State departments,” he says. “A drive has been launched to clear audit objections after I sought the relevant information.”

But officials still wonder what Gangadhar would do with such stuff as the service register, for instance, of HUDA staff. They also have doubts about Gangadhar’s sincerity and feel that he might be using the information to harass government staff.

But Gangadhar, who married recently, laughs away all such allegations. He lives in a small house and says that he spends all the money he earns on seeking information. His parents look after the household. “If I can get hold of Rs 50,000, I will file public interest litigation in the Supreme Court on the audit objections worth lakhs of crores of rupees pending in the country,” he says. And needless to say, he will soon be seeking relevant information on this.


Dear CDs,
Gangadhar needs Rs. 50,000 (apprx. Cdn$1250) to file public litigation. If we collect even $10 each from only 125 members, that would make the required sum.
What do you say? I think it is better than watching Nana Patekar style Bollywood movies (to change the system), having chips and coke and then discussing the indian system ki 'Indian system mein yeh buraai hai aur woh buraai hai'.

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Sanjeev Manocha, MBA
Real Estate Sales Representative
Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)

Re/Max West Realty Inc, Brokerage
96, Rexdale Blvd., Toronto

Mobile: 416-843-7600
Office: 416-745-2300
http://www.manocharealty.com" rel="nofollow">LINK

At least the dude has the guts. He has taken the initiative. That's more important. If anyone is collecting money, count me in.

Coke and chips? Nah...we talk over couple of beers.

DIO

Way to go.............

count me in Mr. Realtor


Salim j Kanji
CIBC Morgages Inc
1800 265 2694

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S. kanji
I may not agree with your opinions, but I will fight to death for you be able to air your views.