Fighting for facts despite RTI

Former banker still awaits response to an RTI he filed two years ago

Fighting for facts despite RTI

Former banker still awaits response to an RTI he filed two years ago

Even as we celebrate International Right To Know Day on Monday, Sunday MiD DAY finds that four years after the implementation of the touted Right To Information (RTI) Act, citizens are still grappling for information.

Naresh Tahilramani (49), a former bank employee from Ulhasnagar, filed an RTI at the local municipal commission of Ulhasnagar in October 2007, asking for information on the survey details of a weak building. Two years hence, Tahilramani is yet to get the information.

Tahilramani, who is now an insurance consultant, said when he didn't get a reply 30 days after he filed the application, he filed an appeal to the appellant authority in the corporation but in vain.

He then appealed before the state information commissioner. His case was sent to a different bench of the information commissioner, that issued a showcause notice to the municipal corporation to be present on a date in September 2008. On that day, none of the officials from the corporation were present and so they were fined by the bench.

According to the letter of showcause, the bench instructed officials not to repeat the mistake, but Tahilramani still didn't get the information.

Tahilramani says that despite shooting off letters to the offices of the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Chief Justice, Governor and the Opposition leader, he |has still not been provided with the information. "I am frustrated with the entire system and I want to get justice. I am now planning to even write a letter to the President. I hope that will make some difference."

Meanwhile, the Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said, "Since this is not coming in our jurisdiction and is a matter of state, we can't interfere in this."

Eminent lawyer and RTI activist Prashant Bhushan said, "Till bureaucracy remains at the top level, getting information from the RTI will be more difficult by the day."