The Madhya Pradesh State Information Commission (MPSIC) has sought explanation from the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the State getting direct or indirect Government aid and are not implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The MPSIC, acting on a complaint of RTI activist Ajay Dubey, issued notices to all the Collectors of the State through Divisional Commissioners asking them to ensure response of the complaint filed by Dubey. Besides, the MPSIC also instructed the Commissioners and Collectors to ensure strict implementation of Government guidelines over the issue in their respective division and districts.
The MPSIC told the Commissioners and Collectors to submit list of financially aided NGOs of their respective division and districts along with the aid amount provided to them and the progress report of the work done for that the amount was provided to them.
Dubey, in his complaint under Section 18 of RTI Act to the MPSIC, said the Government-funded NGOs working in the State were not implementing the RTI in them though they were bound to do that.
Dubey while talking to The Pioneer over the issue said, “We filed complaint in the MPSIC that the Government-funded NGOs are not abiding by the RTI law. Acting on our plaint the Commission has strictly sought explanation from the Commissioners and Collectors over the issue.”
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Govt-aided NGOs under notice for non-compliance of RTI Act in MP
Dubey further said, “The directors of about 90 per cent of the NGOs on which Government’s Rs 1000 crore are at stake, are very influential persons including officials and politicians.”
Dubey said that as per the RTI Act, 2005, those NGOs which get Rs 50,000 and above during a year have to compulsorily implement the RTI Act.
He said that a former Chief Secretary (CS) of the State who was CS during the then Patwa Government in the State run a NGO and a complaint about the NGO was made by Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya but later under pressure from Patwa he withdrew his complaint.
He said that many similar bigwigs would be exposed this Diwali through the powerful tool of the RTI.
The next hearing for case has been fixed for November 20, by then all the Commissioners and Collectors have to submit the desired report with the Commission, he added.