Civic body asks RTI activist to pay 25K for photocopies of reply.

Times of India: thane: Wednesday, September 9, 2015.

A city-based Right to Information (RTI) activist has been asked to shell out Rs 25,000 by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) for a reply on the number of vehicles deployed for garbage collection across the city.

The civic body has asked activist Sanjeev Datta for the money for the photocopies of the data maintained by the solid waste management department. Datta had moved the first RTI application on July 14, which he claimed, was conveniently dodged. He was allegedly asked to check the records of the past 15 years personally and as a result the civic body avoided giving him the photocopies of the information sought under the act.

The activist had demanded to know the exact number of trucks, vans and three-wheelers deployed for collecting and dumping trash from the city to the yard at Khardi. He also wanted to know the expenses incurred on maintaining these vehicles.

"I wanted to know if all the vehicles operated by the TMC are owned by it and how many have been leased from contractors. But the TMC is delaying the process of providing the information as it seems they have no records of the same. My concern is whether they are following the norms like ensuring vehicle health, drivers of these vehicles and if they compensate the victims when any of these vehicles meet with accidents," said Datta.

Datta complained that the information should have been posted for the public on the TMC website but said it was strange that the civic body was not doing the same. He also expressed surprise after the TMC gave him a vague volume of the papers that would be generated for his query. "It is surprising they don't have information since the past 15 years and how they can be so inconclusive about the volume of paperwork," he said.

Ashok Burpulle, in-charge of the solid waste management department justified the amount quoted for the information. "The details are extensive and the information about these vehicles is available at the respective ward levels. We are collating the information to provide the details to him. There is no effort to hide any information. We have given the activist the option of coming and verifying the documents at our office," he said.