Shaktipada Biswas seeks police help
An RTI activist working in Kalimela area in underdeveloped and Maoist dominated Malkangiri district on Friday received a murder threat call in his mobile phone from an unknown person after he sought information about details of plantation programme in the Kalimela region under RTI Act.
According to reports, one Shaktipada Biswas, an RTI-user in Kalimela area under Malkangiri district has received a threatening call of murder over mobile from mobile number 8018907953 on Friday. Meanwhile, he lodged an FIR in Kalimela police station.
According to sources, Biswas had submitted an application under the RTI Act at the Malkangiri District Forest Officer (DFO) seeking information about details of plantation programme undertaken and expenditure made for the same in Kalimela area.
“Malkangiri is one of the backward districts in the State and huge fund under different schemes is being pumped into the district for the welfare of the tribal people. Due to lack of transparency and effective monitoring mechanism, huge corruption and misappropriation of fund by the officials, contractors and politicians are rampant,” said RTI activist Pradip Pradhan.
He also added that in Odisha, more than 30 RTI activists have been subject to attack, charged with false case and put behind the bar and receiving threatening call from miscreants, corrupt people, and vested interest groups while the police action in this regard is not satisfactory, Pradhan added.