The first step towards opening "secret" files maintained by civil servants and public authorities was taken by Parliament through Freedom of Information Act, 2002. It was replaced by Right to Information Act in 2005. The objective was to give meaning to the word "civil servant". For, the babus had been groomed by the system to hide almost everything from those for whose service they were employed. Attitude is an important aspect...
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RTI usage is slowing down in Mumbai
On his visit to the city, activist-turned-central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi interacted with Right to Information activists. DNA caught up with him to speak about the landmark RTI Act, which recently completed five years. What did you gather from your meeting with the activists? I feel that not many people are getting involved with the Act. There is an increase in usage but the rate has slowed. As far as depth is...
More »Now, a land scam in TN
Beneficiaries include sitting and retired judges, IGP, Congress MLAAn RTI query into the allotment of prime land and flats under the Tamil Nadu Housing Board scheme has unravelled another land scam where the discretionary quota, which is 15 per cent reserved, was misused for favours to people in high offices, including judges, MLAs and bureaucrats.Some of these beneficiaries were given plots under the ‘unblemished Government Servant (UGS) quota, especially in...
More »Babus fined Rs 1 for blocking information by Sanjeev Devasia
What do you think should be the fine for information officers denying information to citizens? Re 1, nothing more or less, according to a state information commissioner.An RTI response sought by activist Vihar Durve in June 2010 revealed that Konkan Information Commissioner Navin Kumar imposed a penalty of Re 1 in two cases of appeals between 2005 and 2008 for stalling information.The first, imposed on July 5, 2008, was meant...
More »FCI's intentions of outsourcing food security could spell disaster: Swaminathan
On an RTI ( Right To information) lodged by CNN-IBN, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has revealed its intentions to outsource India's food security. Prof. M S Swaminathan, the father of India’s green revolution, reacted to the news calling it a national disaster. The government did a poor job of both storing and distributing food grains and let thousands of tonnes simply lie and rot. "Outsource India's food security,"...
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