Mystery continues over missing 405 files in fisheries dept.

Times of India; Jeeva; Monday,May 02, 2011,

CHENNAI: The mystery over the missing 405 files in the fisheries department office in Ponneri continues even after the authorities have said in a response to a right to information (RTI) application that the files have been traced out.

The RTI applicant, M Thooyamurthy, an anti-corruption campaigner and retired superintendent in the department, is alleging that the authorities have not given him permission to inspect the 405 files since August last year. Thooyamurthy has moved the Tamil Nadu Information Commission to inquire into whether the missing files have really been traced out by the department. The files pertain to the national fishermen relief and welfare fund. Through the fund, a fisherman can get Rs 600 per year as assistance during the off season.

Thooyamurthy discovered that the files were missing when he inspected the assistant director of fisheries office in Ponneri for about ten days in October 2009. According to him, the files contained details of disbursement of accident insurance, housing grants and annual reliefs.

In July last year, the fisheries department replied to the RTI application that it had traced out the files, following which Thooyamurthy filed another application under the RTI Act seeking permission to inspect them.

Ponneri assistant director of fisheries A Manoharan told The Times of India that the files have been traced out and are available in his office. "There is no chance for the files to go missing. Due to shortage of manpower, the files were kept in different places in the office and arranging them took some time. The applicant can come at any time for inspection; we are ready to show all the files," the official said.

But Thooyamurthy said he had not received any written communication from the department allowing him to inspect files.

Thooyamurthy said he had been fighting against alleged irregularities in the fisheries department. He has filed over 50 RTI applications regarding these. "The records I have obtained so far from the department showed variations in the signature of beneficiaries. This indicates irregularities in the disbursement of benefits under the welfare fund. Even last week, I learned that the fishing society in a village in Tiruvallur has more members than the total population of the village. This is possible only if fictitious names have been included in the members list as beneficiaries," Thooyamurthy said.

Thooyamurthy added that he had already also sent a complaint to the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption to inquire into the utilisation of fishermen welfare funds throughout the state.