Application under RTI caught in blame game

[karira]

Application under RTI caught in blame game

CHENNAI: An application under the Right To Information (RTI) Act questioning the non-implementation of the directive from the Madras High Court is caught up in a blame game amid the Revenue department, the Tiruvallur District Collectorate and the Avadi Municipality.

Vamshi S Dixit, an advocate, had submitted an application to the Revenue Secretary and the Tiruvallur District Collector in September, 2007, asking for reasons to account for the non-removal of 137 encroachments on six acres of poromboke land (along the MTH Road) near Pattabiram railway station, despite a directive issued by the High Court to do so eight months ago.

The Revenue department first forwarded the application to the Collectorate which, in turn, sent it to the Poonamallee tahsildar, who forwarded it to the Avadi Municipality.

The civic body, on its part, sent it back to the tashildar saying that the removal of encroachments was the duty of the Revenue department.

Since he could not get a reply for his queries within the legally stipulated time of 30 days, the RTI applicant had filed his appeal petitions both before the District Collector and the Revenue Secretary a few weeks ago. However, he did not get a reply from them either.

“If we cannot get any response for the appeals also within the prescribed time limit, we have no other option except to move the State Information Commission,” said R L Saravanan, a resident and a lawyer in Pattabiram.

It may be recalled that for over two decades, the residents in the area had been demanding that a bus terminus be constructed on the said piece of land for which Sriperumbudur MP A Krishnasamy had also allotted Rs 20 lakh from his area development fund.

Many residents in the area were furious with the official callousness. “We never expected the authorities to show such scant regard for a High Court directive, in addition to violating the terms of the Right To Information (RTI) Act,” said T Sadagopan, local resident and office bearer of the Thandurai-Pattabiram Consumer Centre.

Application under RTI caught in blame game - Newindpress.com&

[maneesh]

I believe RTI should aim to help Public Authority improve itself rather than wasting valuable resources in blame game.