[HumJanenge] TOI - IN ANNA MODE, RTI ACTIVISTS SMS THEIR POINT HOME

TIMES OF INDIA

IN ANNA MODE, RTI ACTIVISTS SMS THEIR POINT HOME

 

CHANDIGARH - APR 22, 2011, 07.41AM IST SANJAY SHARMA, PTI

Every time their cellphones beep, 29 officers said to be close to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal wonder if it's another text from RTI activists.

Through their SMS drive, the RTI activist are demanding that at least 50% posts of state information commissioners be given to activists and retired judges, to correct, what they call, ''atrocious judgments being passed by Punjab State Information Commission (PSIC)''.

These are being stayed in the high court apparently because of lack of understanding of the Information Act and poor drafting of orders, Punjab RTI Activists Federation president HC Arora told TOI. The SMS campaign was launched on April 13 immediately after the federation released a book of 100 "poor" judgments.

After receiving 600-700 such SMSs, these officers are now getting "irritated". "Please impress upon the CM/Dy CM to appoint at least 50% of the information commissioners from amongst RTI activists," the SMS appeal reads. According to Arora, in response to an SMS appeal on April 13, one person received a text from mobile no. 98725-47247 (Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, special principal secretary to CM Punjab), saying, "Stop this". On Sunday, D S Virdi, an executive member of the federation at Moga, got one asking him to "stop this nonsense".

Fed up, N S Dhanoa, OSD to deputy chief minister, called Virdi and told him, "I am receiving numerous SMSs from across the state. I get disturbed when I get one during a meeting. Your issue concerns the state government. I can't do anything." In reply, Virdi requested Dhanoa to inform the CM or deputy CM of his demand. On Monday, Arora sent an SMS to all 29 officers, saying, "We are sorry that our members are bothering you. We shall be grateful if you apprise CM/ deputy CM of our sentiments." Quick came a reply text from Malwinder Singh Mali, PRO, media adviser to CM, saying, "I am totally with you. But it is better if you directly fax, email or meet the chief minister as a delegation."

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Surendera M. Bhanot
- President, RTI Help & Assistance Forum Chandigarh
- Youth for Human Rights International YHRI - South Asia
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- Member, RTI Activist Federation, Punjab, Chandigarh
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