ALLAHABAD:
The Right to Information Act is a potent tool to extract information from government agencies and brining transparency in their functioning. But, the Allahabad Municipal Corporation, it seems, is unwilling to do so. Or else, why the municipal corporation is evasive on giving details sought by an applicant. The AMC has turned down every query of the applicant on some pretext or the other.
Katra corporator Anand Agarwal had first sought details from the AMC about the number of residential houses and commercial buildings in the city and the amount of taxes imposed on these buildings. But in its reply, AMC said it was not clear from the question whether information was sought about the residential houses and commercial buildings of a particular zone or the entire city. Taking this premise, the municipal body refused to give any information.
Next, Agarwal enquired under the RTI Act if there was a government order on the exemption of house tax on degree, medical, engineering or other colleges. If the answer was no, the applicant said, AMC should provide details about the evaluation of such colleges along with the amount of house tax imposed on them.
But instead of giving information, AMC authorities replied that there was a provision for this in the Municipal Corporation Act of 1959 and information seeker should consult the relevant sections of the Act. On the question of evaluation of the house tax of the educational institutions, AMC authorities said it was not clear from the
question whether information sought was about a particular zone or the entire city.
Likewise, when the corporator enquired about the schools which are being used for commercial purposes and the house tax imposed on them, AMC gave the same reply -- it was not clear that information about which schools was being sought. As the question did not mention the specific zone in which the schools are located, it was not possible to give the answers, municipal corporation said.
Further, the same applicant also sought information about the details of various commercial buildings whose evaluation has come down in the past two years. The applicant sought the names of the municipal officers who has assessed the house tax of such buildings, along with seeking the before and post assessment rates of the said buildings.
Still, the AMC authorities remained evasive and said the question was ambiguous. Instead, they asked the applicant to give the names of buildings whose details were wanted and then only would they give the information.
Meanwhile, assistant municipal commissioner Subhash Pandey told TOI that the applicant should make clear and straight enquiries and then only can they provide the details.
The repeated evasive approach of the AMC, however, indicates that the civic body is not keen on imparting information as they could expose some shady deals of its officers.
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