The Right to Information (RTI) activists of Tyuni tehsil of State are being threatened by the people whom they exposed and to add to their problems, these activists are being harassed by the Government officials, alleged president of RTI Club Dehradun BP Maithani while addressing media pesons here on Monday.
Presenting two RTI activists who shared their hardships, Maithani said that the State Government should conduct a fair and independent inquiry in the episode. He claimed the incidences of Tyuni suggest that anarchy and autocracy prevails in this area.
A resident of Maindrath village of Tyuni Kalag Ram Chauhan said that he is regularly being threatened by the village strongmen for exposing gross financial irregularities in the schemes like Indira Awas Yojna, Atal Awas Yojna, Swajal Yojna, widow pension scheme and toilet construction schemes.
He claimed that he was even framed on false rape case by these people. “I was threatened and beaten up by those I had exposed, the police and local administration are also supporting these goons”, he said. Showing the correspondences he has made so far, Chauhan said that he said complained to everyone right from Patwatri to the State Director General of Police but nothing has happened till date.
Another RTI activist of same village, Balbir Singh Chauhan said that he is facing social orchestration for exposing corruption in the plantation drive done in village. He said the State Government had ordered an inquiry after his exposure of corruption but the inquiry report is yet to arrive even after four years.
The president of the RTI club said that these incidences raise serious questions about safety of whistle-blowers and apathy of the Government officials. He said that high ranking officials praise the RTI provisions but in practice protect the culprits and harass the whistle-blowers.