An ex-employee alleges that he is not being allowed into Council building to file an RTI application

For last one week, a physically challenged ex-employee of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Kamleshwar Prasad Singh, has been trying to visit Council's headquarters but he is being denied entry into the building. The reason, Singh says, is that he wants to file an RTI application that will expose a recruitment scam going on in the Council.


Dead end: Kamleshwar Prasad Singh being stopped at NDMC gate by
security personnel, in New Delhi. Pic/Subhash Barolia

A resident of Badarpur, Singh does not have his right leg but he travels 15 kilometres everyday to NDMC headquarters to file the application. "I have been coming here regularly for a week but I am not being allowed to enter the building. The senior officials are purposely keeping me away as they fear the reply to my RTI application will expose recruitment scam in NDMC. I carry my RTI application with me everyday but am not even able to reach the reception as the guard pushes me away," said Singh.

No recruitment since 2008
He alleges that not recruitments have taken place in the Council under handicapped quota since 2008. "As I was working there, I know they have not recruited anyone under handicapped quota though recruitment has been done in general and SC/ST category. I have raised this issue before but my voice was put down, so now I want to file an RTI to unearth this scam."

When MiD DAY asked him why he was going there everyday and not requesting someone else to file the RTI application on his behalf, as he was not allowed to enter, Singh said, "Why should I not go there and why should I ask someone else to file the application on my behalf? Even I am citizen of this country and it's my right to file an RTI application and even if they stop me, I will come every day."

'Anyone can come in'
The Council official however claimed that anyone can come inside the building and no is stopped from entering it. "I don't know about this case and this is not possible as everyone can come inside. If someone has to file an RTI, he can come and meet the public information officer. If something like this has actually happened, then it would be taken seriously," said NDMC spokesperson Anand Tiwari.