Free Press Journal: Indore: Monday, November 27, 2017.
Do not
provide information to ‘blackmailers’ (RTI activists)
Jan Adhikar
Sangthan demands probe, action against municipal commissioner for dampening
spirit of the RTI Act as well as activists,
Indore :
Large number of Right To Information (RTI) activists and members of Jan Adhikar
Sangathan (JAS) staged a demonstration on Saturday to protest the order passed
by commissioner of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), Manish Singh directing
officials not to provide information to ‘blackmailers’ filing RTI.
The
protesting activists also lodged a complaint with state public information
commissioner Heeralal Trivedi demanding probe into the matter and action
against Singh over his move to dampen the spirit of RTI Act as well as the
activists, whom he termed as ‘blackmailers’.
Jan Adhikar
Sangathan’s Sunil Khandelwal said “On Wednesday (November 22), the IMC
commissioner in a wireless message ordered the officials not to provide any
information sought through RTI applications by ‘blackmailers’ (RTI activists)
and reject them by taking necessary legal help from an advocate.”
Khandelwal said
that they have lodged a complaint against Singh and requested the Public
Information Commissioner to launch an investigation into the matter.
“RTI is a
unique tool to unearth corruption and reveal corrupt practices in government
departments; but Singh’s move will dampen the spirit of RTI activists and
support the corrupt officers,” he said adding “Why Singh is not lodging an FIR
against such blackmailers. He must make the names of blackmailers public and
also, reveal the works due to which he is being blackmailed.”
It is evident
from the IMC commissioner’s remark that he is well aware of the corruption
taking place in the municipal corporation and he also knows that its revelation
can land him in trouble or he can be blackmailed. How can a commissioner term
anyone a blackmailer who seeks information through RTI
Chanchal
Gupta Advocate and RTI activist
The matter of
blackmailing was raised during the very formation of the RTI Act but it was
rejected with the fact that the information given through RTI is public and one
cannot be blackmailed through public information. As per the Act, the IMC
cannot deny providing any information to an applicant; it can only ask for the
applicant’s name and address. Applicants can also sue the IMC commissioner on
charges of defamation
Siddharth
Khandelwal RTI activist
.JPG)
.JPG)
