Kodinar(Junagadh district):
One would expect the unfriendly behaviour of government officers holding key posts or heading public works to be at least decent on paper. But, there are public information officers (PIO) under the RTI Act who have crossed all limits of not only being rude to people, but have even threatened RTI applicants of dire consequences — on records. In some cases, PIOs sent empty envelopes or posted blank sheets to show that information was dispatched. Experts feel that taluka and village-level officials use such tactics to discourage applicants from asking information under RTI.
Take the case of Suresh Parmar of Sami taluka, who was recently threatened by the PIO, deputy taluka development officer. The officer did not provide any information and instead threatened Parmar that if he did not turn up at the office to collect the information he would get Parmar fined by Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) and take disciplinary action.
“My fault was that I sought information on NREGA beneficiaries in few villages. This information should have been available to us under voluntary disclosure,” says Parmar.
Bhikhabhai Gohil from Kodinar taluka had sought reasons from Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited (PGVCL) as to why the electricity connection to the Gohil Ni Khan village panchayat was snapped without any warning or notice. The PGVCL PIO replied in a note stating that he knew Gohil was the husband of the village sarpanch and even issued warnings that Gohil should not come with ‘people’s complaints’.
“I filed an RTI to PGVCL(Kodinar) seeking the details of power connection to the gram panchayat. Is it a crime to ask? The panchayat office is a nodal office for the village and why does the PIO mention my wife in his reply,” says Gohil. On the contrary when the local MLA, Dirsinh Barad, sought the same details under the RTI, the same PIO provided him with all the details.
Recently, an RTI applicant, Govind Mori, of Devli in Kodinar taluka received an empty envelope to his questions under RTI. Mori is member of Bileshwar Khad Udhyog Kedut Sahkari Mandli Ltd and had sought account audit details of co-operative society.
“I received blank papers in the post. So, we took the empty envelope and asked the appellate officer to open the cover in the presence of responsible official to ratify our complaint,’’ says Mori.
In November last year, Rajkot police commissioner Geetha Johri had issued a confidential note to Rajkot collector to cancel RTI applicant Altaf Chichodra’s below poverty line (BPL) card for asking too many questions under RTI.
“I demanded details of notifications that were issued to Rajkot police subsequent to various high court and Supreme Court rulings and wanted to know whether they were adhered to. Is that a crime?” says Chichodra.
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