[IAC#RG] [odishasoochanaadhikarabhiyan] WHITHER RTI ACT - FINDINGS OF THE INVESTIGATIVE STUDY in TN

To, IAC friends and Odisha Soochna friends

now theres growing awareness for need for all RTI activist forces to
fight govt in unified, cohesive way.

Anna thanks to persons like IAC Convenor and Pardip Pradhan of Odisha
who have taken lead, India is slowly understanding extent of unsatisfaction
in NCPRI with Aruna Roy's "Hitler Madame" style and rudeness.

first few questions:
(1) What was need for ArunaRoy and Nikhil Day to go the PMO ?.

(2) Who arranged for meeting in the first place ? Only now are the
answers coming out.

(a) Most senior NCPRI persons like Sekhar Singh etc have openly
expressed their disgust with Aruna Roy. Even earlier Anna's lieutenant
Arvind Kejriwal had refuse to follow Arunas orders which are well
known to come direct from Sonia and Diggivijay

(b) face with revolt and split and an email from the parallel party in
NCPRI which issued call supporting Annaji's SAVE RTI appeal for only
RTI activists be appointed as Central ICs to save RTI, Aruna Roy's
servant Nikhil Day franticly called Pulak Chattterjee to get Aruna a
appointment to meet PM.

(c) Her move is a desparate attempt to show her few followers in
remote parts of India that she still has some access to govt. Aruna
Roy was thrown out of NAC because she leaked the information to maoist
which got full Chattisgarh congress wiped out, which ensures that
Chattrisgarh remains with BJP.

(d) Nobody in NCPRI was consulted on taking appointment to meet PM and
no agenda was decide in advance. everything is unilatral for Hitler
Madame Roy. There are so many concevors of NCPRI aftyer Aruna split
the National NCPRI into State units so why only "her" convenors Anjali
and Nikhl Day went with her. What was discussed there is only Aruna
Roy's version put out. It is all lies.

Aruna Roy has insulted Anna too badly now. By objecting to Annas call
that all information Commisioner are only slected from RTI activists,
Aruna Roy and NCPRI has shown she is no more a real RTI activist but
is fully a puppet of Congress.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nilambar Mishra <bipanibinapani@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 07:10:12 +0530
Subject: Re: [odishasoochanaadhikarabhiyan] WHITHER R T I ACT -
FINDINGS OF THE INVESTIGATIVE STUDY in TN
To: odishasoochanaadhikarabhiyan@googlegroups.com

CONGRATULATION. YOUR ATTEMPT WILL BE CREATE A NEW DIMENSION
IN THE CIVIL SOCIETY FOR THE AFTER INDEPENDENCE REVOLUTION.

Nilambar Mishra--9938450187

On 8/18/13, Anna BVA Office <joinbvga@gmail.com> wrote:
> friends
>
> problem with corrupt Information Commissioner is all too serious.
> Once the babu is appointed as I.C. it is impossible to remove
> him, and also Writ Petition do not give result.
>
> Anna has again given call demanding only RTI activist will be made ICs.
> We are all happy that activist from Odisha, Pradip Pradahan was first
> of India to support his appeal. Initially NCPRI had supported Anna, but
> now under pressure from NAC they have backtrack and are agreeing
> that 4 babu will be appointed and 1 activist from NCPRI will be there.
>
> So when RTI activists are so badly corrupt what hope is now there for RTI.
>
> On 8/18/13, Nilambar Mishra <bipanibinapani@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Implementation of u/s-219 of the Indian Penal Code-1908
>> through the Article-14,39A & 261(1) of the CONSTITUTION of
>> India can create a fear in the minds of the Information
>> Commission to pronounce verdict/Order/Judgment agaist the RTI
>> activista amnd this is a permanent solution of this problem.
>>
>> Nilambar Mishra--9938450187
>>
>> On 8/17/13, Pradip Pradhan <pradippradhan63@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> *WHITHER R T I ACT - FINDINGS OF THE INVESTIGATIVE STUDY*
>>>
>>> * *
>>>
>>> *Nandini Voice For The Deprived , a Chennai based NGO
>>> (www.nandinivoice.org)
>>> conducted an investigative study on the satisfaction level of RTI
>>> activists and citizens about the implementation of RTI Act in India.*
>>>
>>> *Several persons from all over India responded to the investigative
>>> study and narrated their views and experience . Based on such response
>>> and discussions with cross section of RTI activists, the investigative
>>> study was completed and the findings of the study are given below.*
>>>
>>> * Deteriorating response level :*
>>>
>>> *As per the RTI Act ,the details should be sent by the concerned
>>> authorities to the information seekers within thirty days. When RTI
>>> Act
>>> was introduced with much fanfare, the government departments mostly
>>> responded to the request for information within the stipulated time.
>>> Even
>>> if the particular information could not be made available, there was
>>> acknowledgement of the request and explanations were provided about
>>> the
>>> action taken in the matter to provide appropriate reply. *
>>>
>>> *However, in the last several months , there has been steep
>>> deterioration
>>> in the response level to the RTI queries . The Public Information
>>> Officers of several concerned departments do not anymore adhere to
>>> thirty days deadline and they seem to be taking it easy. They often
>>> respond only after several reminders and sometimes do not respond at
>>> all.
>>> *
>>>
>>> *There are many instances when one government department would forward
>>> the
>>> letter to another department, stating that the other department would be
>>> the fit agency to reply, making the process a vicious cycle with the
>>> letters being tossed here and there . The performance of the state
>>> government departments appear to be much worse than the departments
>>> belonging to central government. *
>>>
>>> *Ineffective Information Commissioners :*
>>>
>>> *In the event of not getting an acknowledgement or suitable reply, the
>>> option left for the RTI activists is to send the complaint to the
>>> Information Commissioner. While Information Commissioner forward such
>>> letters to the Appellate Authority directing that the reply should be
>>> sent within stipulated period, often Information Commissioner would not
>>> follow up the matter.*
>>>
>>> *Several RTI activists complain that the Information Commissioners
>>> really
>>> function as "post office". Information Commissioners follow up and
>>> conduct
>>> enquiry only if the RTI activist would send repeated reminders and
>>> constantly call the Information Commissioner's office. The enquiry
>>> proceedings are also time consuming. There are many persons who have
>>> been
>>> waiting for reply and suitable action by Information Commissioners for
>>> more
>>> than one year.*
>>>
>>> * What can a citizen do ?*
>>>
>>> *If the Information Commissioner would routinely deal with the matter
>>> without taking any effective steps to force the government department
>>> to provide reply, then the options left for the citizen are very
>>> limited.
>>> In that case, citizens can only go to judiciary with his complaint and
>>> the
>>> hearing and judgement from the judiciary would be prolonged affair.*
>>>
>>> *In such scenario, several activists give up in despair. *
>>>
>>> *No fear of punishment :*
>>>
>>> *The Public Information Officers of the concerned departments do not
>>> seem to have fear anymore that disciplinary action would be taken
>>> against them, if they would not respond with the reply within the
>>> stipulated time as per the provisions of the Act. While there are
>>> hundreds
>>> of cases all over India of delayed response or nil response to the RTI
>>> request letters, there is no report of any punishment imposed on the
>>> Public
>>> Information officer or Information Commissioner for dereliction of
>>> duty.*
>>>
>>> *Harassment :*
>>>
>>> *Some RTI activists pointed out that when they would seek information
>>> about
>>> any issue, particularly such as land deal, sand quarrying etc. , the
>>> concerned departments sometimes leak out the matter to those who could
>>> be
>>> affected by the query and consequently they are threatened and harassed.
>>> Several RTI activists warn that those seeking any information about the
>>> police have to be careful and cautious.*
>>>
>>> *Pessimism about bringing political parties under RTI Act :*
>>>
>>> *There are now several arguments and counter arguments about bringing
>>> political parties under RTI Act. But, several of the RTI activists are
>>> of
>>> the view that even if political parties were to be brought under RTI
>>> Act,
>>> it would not make much difference , since they may not even
>>> acknowledge
>>> the receipt of the letters seeking information. In a situation where
>>> even
>>> the government departments do not take the RTI Act seriously anymore ,
>>> one
>>> cannot expect political parties to behave better.*
>>>
>>> * Is RTI Act now only an empty measure ?:*
>>>
>>> *Many RTI activists wonder whether the RTI Act has now been rendered as
>>> "toothless act" due to the indifference and lackadaisical approach of
>>> the
>>> several government departments. Overall, there is huge dissatisfaction
>>> in
>>> the country about the quality of implementation of the RTI Act. *
>>>
>>> * *
>>>
>>> *N.S.Venkataraman*
>>>
>>> *Nandini Voice For The Deprived*
>>>
>>> *Email:- nsvenkatchennai@gmail.com*
>>>
>>> * Posted by*
>>>
>>> * Pradip Pradhan *
>>>
>>> *M-99378-43482*
>>>