A year on, administration unsure how many files were lost

Times of India: Mumbai: Thursday, October 24, 2013.

More than a year has passed since key floors at Mantralaya were completely destroyed in a devastating fire, but utter confusion still exists over the exact number of files being ruined in the blaze.

The confusion seems to have been created by none other than the general administration department (GAD), which is responsible for maintaining Mantralaya records. The disparity is apparent from the different figures on missing files that the GAD has provided to an RTI activist from Nagpur who had filed a query under the RTI Act. In January, Abhay Kolarkar was informed that 63,349 files were destroyed in the blaze, but again in October, the GAD changed the figure to 86,703. While explaining the two different figures, chief secretary J K Banthia did not rule out the possibility of more files found missing later on. “We will look into the information provided under the RTI Act. Initially, we had received certain information on files. Later, we appealed to all the departments to submit their data. Maybe the change in figures came after that. But still, we will verify the records,” Banthia said.

Following the fire on June 21, 2012, Kolarkar in January, 2013, submitted an application to the GAD, asking for files missing from each department. He also sought information on the files that have been reconstructed. He was told that 19,719 files from GAD, 613 from planning department, 5,803 from revenue, 11,065 from home, 1,433 from urban development-I and 3,493 urban development-II departments among others were missing. When the RTI activist asked for the same information again in October 2013, he was told that the GAD had 29,021 files missing, the planning department 1,631, revenue 15,761, urban development-I 15,949 and urban development-II department could not trace 3,549 files missing. He was also told that the number of home department files ruined has gone down from 11,065 to 10,578. The GAD also told the RTI activist of the 86,703 files, 23,478 have been reconstructed, while 32,884 did not need to be.

While admitting to a huge disparity in the number of figures, a senior bureaucrat, however, said it would be wrong to blame the GAD. According to him, after the fire, all state departments were asked to reconstruct as many files as possible. An appeal was also issued to all the divisional and police commissioners, collectors and CEOs of zilla parishads on specific information on ruined files. “Most field officers submitted the data on files or projects submitted in Mantralaya in the last three months. As a result, there was confusion over the exact number,” he said, adding that Banthia himself was taking a monthly review of all the files.