Right To Information : A boom

Recently a study was done on four groups. One, applied for a ration card and did nothing else. The second, applied for a ration card and enclosed a recommendation of an NGO. The third, applied for a ration card and also paid a bribe, the fourth, applied for the ration card and followed up their application with an RTI query. Needless to say group 1 & 2 never got any reply. Groups 3 & 4 were given the ration cards.

This study proves that a lot can be achieved using the Right to Information Act. I have been using this tool for a while. It is not always as easy as it seems and public servants use every trick in the book to avoid giving the information. A few tips that may will help you write a good query and hopefully get your work done.

The first step is to ensure that every application addressed to the designated Public Information Officer is accompanied by the Rs 10/- court fee stamp. If you do not pay this fee, after 30 days you will get a reply saying that your application is returned because the proper fee is not attached.

Writing the question!!! There is no use venting your spleen in the RTI query. Remember you are asking for information and not opinion. For e.g : I am looking for information on plots allotted out of turn by GIDC. If I ask for a list of plots allotted out of turn I will never get the answer, they will say no plot is allotted out of turn. So instead I will ask for a list of plots allotted during the period I wish to review. I would also ask for a list of pending applications for a longer but overlapping period. Once I get this data I will have to collate it and arrive at a conclusion, plots were allotted out of turn.

Once, I did ask a stupid question. “How many open spaces in Industrial estates have been converted?” The answer was none, open spaces were relocated. Lesson learned. I asked another question, “give me the old N/S/E/W boundaries and the new N/S/E/W boundaries for relocated open spaces”. I added the trick question. “Please state to whom these relocated open spaces were allotted”.

Surprise, the answer gave me the new location and the new owner’s names, open space cannot be allotted, even if relocated. See the difference asking the correct question makes!

If you must ask many questions, ideally one should break it up into separate applications.

A brief and seemingly clear query can evoke an answer on the 30^th day,” your query cannot understood and hence please clarify”. Why wait for 30 days to inform you that the query is difficult to understand, simple waste time.

Another ploy utislied is that the data you have asked for can be given and is ready. However the photocopying charges are say Rs 20000/-. Ofcourse this will shock you. Do not worry. Ask for inspection of documents and copy only those relevant to your query.

If you are denied information or you believe the information is wrong, you can file an appeal with the First Appellate Authority. My own experience is that it is no use, but if you wish to go to the State Information Commissioner in appeal, you will have to go through this step.

I have an appeal pending at “The State Information Commission” so more on them later. First impression they are helpful.

So next time you light a candle at an Anti corruption meeting, remember, an RTI query will throw much more light and the transparency will help reduce or stall corruption. Go on ask your query under RTI, you have nothing to lose but your ignorance. You will know the truth and the truth as they say will make you mad (angry).