Corporators use RTI to avoid citizens scuttling poll hopes.

Pune Newsline:Saturday, January 21, 2012.

Pune:They seek info on pending dues to clear them before anyone points a finger.

With vigilant citizen groups keeping a close watch on their activities, sitting corporators in the civic body have come up with an ingenious plan. The corporators are using the same tool as citizens the Right to Information Act (RTI) to seek information about their pending dues so that they can clear the same before someone raises the issue.

The Election Commission (EC) has made it mandatory for candidates to obtain a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) on their dues from each of the 21 departments in the civic body. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has also set up a separate cell to help candidates get the NOCs through a single window. There have been 106 applications seeking NOCs and around 25 applicant have been issued the same.

“Though we have been receiving applications for NOCs, some corporators are seeking the information through RTI. This is beyond our understanding, but we have to respond to them nevertheless,” said Dayanand Sonkamble, in charge of the special cell to issue NOCs.

The sitting corporators obviously do not want to take any chances. “ I have sought information about my pending dues and accordingly, started clearing them to get the NOCs. But citizens group are vigilant and I want to avoid any trouble in future, which is why I have also sought the information through RTI,” said Ulhas Bagul of the Congress and leader of the Opposition in PMC. He added that there is every possibility that a citizen or an opponent might file an RTI query and use the information to cause trouble in future. “I have sought related information related through RTI in the name of someone else,” Bagul said.

All the departments have responded to the application for NOCs, he said. “The RTI query is a legal document and its response holds more importance than the that for a normal application. It will also help to ensure that there is no mismatch between the information under the normal application process and under the RTI Act.”

A sitting NCP corporator said they understand the power citizens hold under the RTI Act. “The RTI will be used by vigilant citizens to gather information about corporators’ pending dues. This information might be used to disqualify those who are elected if it does not match with that submitted to the Election Commission. The best way to avoid trouble is to use the RTI Act now,” he said.

RTI activist Vihar Durve said, “The fear of the RTI Act and alert citizens have compelled corporators to take such a step. They know that information through RTI will have more relevance in court than that obtained under normal application.”