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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Why no RTI in 'progessive' Gujarat, Mr Modi? -Himanshu Kaushik

Why no RTI in 'progessive' Gujarat, Mr Modi? -Himanshu Kaushik

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published Published on Apr 16, 2013   modified Modified on Apr 16, 2013
-The Times of India


AHMEDABAD: Narendra Modi might be wanting to encash 'brand Gujarat' in 2014, but the state he rules still prohibits information under the RTI, which can check corruption to a great extent.

In 2011-12, the Gujarat Information Commissioner received 5,224 complaints and appeals, of which 2,699 were disposed off - the disposal rate was 51.66 per cent.

Of the 5,224 applications, 70 per cent were appeals. The report tabled in the state Assembly revealed of the 3,803 appeals filed, 1,887 were disposed off. Similarly, of the 1,421 complaints, 812 were disposed off by the Gujarat Information Commission (GIC).

The revenue department had the maximum 1001 appeals and complaints in 2011-12, followed by the urban development and urban housing with 698 appeals and complaints.

The report stated the education department had 622 appeals and complaints, followed by panchayat, rural housing and rural development with 578 appeals and complaints. The four departments accounted to 55.48 per cent of the total appeals and complaints.

During 2011-12, various government departments and public authorities functioning under them received 54,560 applications, of which the urban development and urban housing alone accounted to more than 29 per cent share, followed by the home department and energy and petrochemical department with a share of 13.20 per cent and 10.28 per cent, respectively.

Last year, a farmer and RTI activist from Kutch setting himself on fire in the presence of 11 policemen at a revenue office last year after his attempts to get information were thwarted. But, the state administration seems to be unrelenting.

The report further said of all the district collectors in Gujarat, only information was available in the case of Surendranagar Collectorate. Information of public authorities like other district collectorates, superintendent of stamps under the jurisdiction of revenue department and its district and taluka level officers, office of relief commissioner, office of the commissioner and secretary (land reforms), Gujarat Revenue Commission, Gujarat State land use Board was not uploaded on the website.

Also, the information of home department and offices of 10 district superintendents of police and offices of all police commissioners and their subordinate officers was not made available.

This does not end here. The information of Municipal Corporations of Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Junagadh and Gandhinagar, various schools, colleges and institutes were also not shared.

The report further states that majority of the applications were about the functioning of the local self government, including corporations, villages, talukas and district panchayats. The commission stated that the dispute were arising due to lack of transparency in working, vested interests, denial; to provide legitimate services, delay in attending to the requests, unwillingness for decision-making, lacking execution, among others.


The Times of India, 16 April, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Why-no-RTI-in-progessive-Gujarat-Mr-Modi/articleshow/19570753.cms


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