’We won’t reveal’

RTI activists, concerned there may be more Adarshes lurking in government files, say state officials are hiding info on plots and flats allotted to babus and netas

'We won't reveal'

RTI activists, concerned there may be more Adarshes lurking in government files, say state officials are hiding info on plots and flats allotted to babus and netas

After the Adarsh scam cracked open to make heads of politicians and bureaucrats roll, the state government seems to be playing it safe by boarding up information about flats and plots allotted to them.

RTI activists believe that the government is now pursuing a policy that commoners are better off without knowing about the flats and housing plots allotted under various discretionary quotas, as info officers of the state government are refusing to provide information sought on such proposals pending with the Revenue Department seeking.

Durve claims that, following the Adarsh scam, Information Officers have been dodging his attempts to get inofrmation on plots allotted by the government.

Soon after the allotment of the plot to Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society turned into the scandal of the year for the state, RTI activist Vihar Durve, on November 8, made an application to the Revenue Department seeking information on the number of plots allotted for construction of flats to MLAs, MLCs, IAS, IPS and IRS officers, and Judges in the state.

But his efforts were repeatedly stonewalled by the department's info officials.

"I have reasons to believe that there are several proposals similar to Adarsh, seeking allotment of plots for IAS officers, MLAs and so on, that the government wants to hide. That is why they are not supplying the information," said Durve.

He claims that Public Information Officers (PIO) of the Revenue Department have been dodging his attempts to get information on the plots allotted by the government to various categories of persons under various pretexts. One of them is that according to the RTI Act, it was not advisable to provide information sought by the RTI applicant.

'Give specific info'

"The first reply I got was from Samir Sawant, PIO and Desk Officer of the Revenue Department, who replied that the information sought by the applicant was not available with them, and that it required collection, research and compilation of the information.

Besides, the PIO also asked me to provide specific information of the place and survey number of the plot for which information has been sought," said Durve.

"If I had all these details, why would I seek the information from the state government? How can they claim that they do not have information on the number of proposals pending or the plots allotted to various categories of people by the state government?" questions Durve.

Denials galore

Durve was denied twice more by PIOs citing what he believes are flimsy reasons. Samir Sawant, a PIO and Desk Officer, on December 10, had similar reasons for refusing him the information. Sanjay Kalbhor, another PIO from the department, also withheld information on similar grounds.

The Other Side
Anna Dani, Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue Department, said she was not in a position to comment on the issue at the moment.