The Right to Information (RTI) Act is often recognised for its failure to bring changes in the system. However, there are few exceptions that shows the path to those willing to bring positive changes in the system and in the lives of common people.
The only thing needed is the will to change, realising the power, the Act bestows on a common man and above all invoking the act. The Act has been used in a much effective manner for exposing discrepancies in MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act) schemes and bringing the wrongdoers to their knees.
In 2011, an RTI activist Md Saadiq Ansari, exposed the alleged wrongdoings of Panchayati Raj Institutions in Bariyarpur village under Madhwadih panchayat in Giridih. To the dismay of Ansari, people were made to shell out 30 per cent of
their total MNREGA payments as ‘personal commission’ (PC) to get their payments released thus forcing the activist to shoot a letter to officials at block level to the Chief Secretary of Jharkhand. However, things did not move as wished and it compelled Ansari to invoke RTI to ascertain official position on PC for getting payments released.
“I wrote to the board at Block Office that to get the work done you need to pay 30 per cent PC. Then I filed an RTI as my letter to administration and other senior State officials in this regard did not lead to any action,” said Ansari.
The RTI made the administration eat humble pie and axe Panchayat Secretary besides revoking financial power of Mukhiya of Madhwadih Panchayat. But like several incidents, the RTI in this case also turned out to be too feeble to protect the whistleblower of irregularities in MNREGA. Ansari was charged with cases under section 420 of IPC for daring to expose the rot in the system.
“I was in jail for 4 months and 12 days for my act,” added the activist. The activists on Saturday had the opportunity to motivate others with their success stories through a workshop organised by Jharkhand RTI forum at Ranchi. The event was participated by Director of Media Information and Communication Centre of India Nandini Sahai, Senior Media Advisor of FES Rajeshwar Dayal, Dean of Mass Communication Santosh Tiwari, RTI activists Balram and Vishnu Rajgharia.
Much, water has flown down the RTI bridge since it came into existence but until January 2013, people of Koderma were oblivious about basics of making application and demanding a receipt for the application made under the empowering act. Prior to 2013, receipts against RTI applications were issued only to an application made on VIP letterheads.
In January 2013, the tide turned in the favour of common man when an RTI activist, Vijay Yadav, sought information about existence of rules that debar a Government official from issuing receipt to a common man. The RTI forum now claims that in Koderma even ordinary person gets a receipt for filing an application under RTI Act as it does not discriminate between applicants on economic status.
The sword of RTI cuts all sorts of red tapism when invoked properly. The Act helped Sanjit Kumar Chandra, an advocate in Jharkhand High Court in career growth. Chandra who was denied the coveted post of Civil Judge Junior Section had sought answer papers from the JPSC. The self-evaluation brought the irregularities in appointment to the fore.
The matter was brought to the notice of then Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court Prakash Chandra Tatia who had formed a high-level committee to look into the matter. Chandra was subsequently appointed to the post of Civil Judge Junior Division.
If India is a nation of great followers then RTI activists are indeed great leaders in their respective geographies. Birendra Kumar Verma was not paid funds for digging well under MNREGA, until he invoked clauses of RTI to seek information about grounds of withholding funds.
The 30-year old with his activism inspired many others to use RTI and has around 20 to 25 RTI applications related to irregularities in MNREGA under his name. “Irked by the RTI, administration has registered a case against me in Jamua police station,” pointed out Verma.