Need Help: councillor spending funds only in particular area.

[DineshK]

Counselor of my area which is part of Municipal Corporation of Delhi is spending his allotted fund to a particular area only. He has spend 95% of the alloted fund on his own locality and ignored all other colonies of the ward.

I need help to know
1. Whom should I address my RTI application ?
2. What questions should I ask in this case ?

[karira]

Dinesh,

Do Municipal Councilors also get funds ? I did not know that ! Thanks for pointing out.

This can be addressed to the PIO of the MCD. Details of various PIO's are available at:

http://www.mcdonline.gov.in/mcd/adds...nfOfficers.doc

In the case of MP's and MPLAD funds, the full data is available on the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha website and also with the Planning Officer in the District Collectors office, which is the planning authority for MPLAD funds.

There must be something similar in the MCD. Just check the following link:

http://www.mcdonline.gov.in/mcd/adds/ritetoinfo.html

The type of information you can ask for (for last 2 or 3 years , if you wish):

What are the different areas represented by the councilor ?
1. Total amount allocated to the Councilor for use in his area
2. List of projects suggested by the councilor, details of projects, area/location details, etc...
3. Cost estimate of each project, amount allocated from councilors funds, Total amount actually spent, Amount actually spent from the councilors funds
4. Name, address, telephone numbers, etc. of the approving authority for these projects ?
5. Whether under Section 4(1)(c) of the RTI Act, any public consultation was carried out before sanctioning the above projects.
6. Total amount allocated to the councilor for each year, total amount spent, total amount lapsed

You can add many more along the above lines and also delete any, if not applicable to your case.

[DineshK]

I have framed the following questions.

I __________. Citizen of India, request you to provide me following information under Right to Information Act, 2005.

1. Total amount of fund allotted to councilor of ward XXX during financial year 2007-2008.
2. Total amount of fund allotted to councilor of ward XXX during financial year 2008-2009.
3. List of projects suggested by councilor of ward XXX from 01 Jan 2008 till todate. List should include following details

• a. Details/Name of project,
• b. Name of colony/area,
• c. Estimated cost of project,
• d. date of submission,
• e. date of approval of the project.
• f. Workorder No. and date
• g. Name and designation of the approval authority.

4. Was any public consultation carried out before sanctioning these projects under section 4(1)(c) of the RTI Act. Please provide details of such consultations if any.

I am enclosing herewith a Postal Order No. ________ in favor of MCD for rupees Ten towards application fee for this RTI application.

I am willing to pay any further charges as decided by the PIO and communicated to me with reasons in written order, giving details calculations for arriving at the additional charges so requested by PIO.

Thanking you,

[karira]

Dinesh,

That is a very good application.
Just one suggestion. You are asking for 2007-08 and 2008-09 in item 1 and 2.
But then in Item 3, you are asking for projects from 01 Jan 2008 till date.

Instead of that ask for year wise details for 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Also please check when were the last MCD elections held ? If they were held in 2006 or before that, then better to ask information for 2006-07 and 2007-08 rather than 2008-09 because the current financial year has just started and you will only get partial information which will be of no use.

[DineshK]

Thanks for your support Karira.

Though the last MCD elections were held in April 2007, I already have records of his projects till 31 Dec 2007.

During this (Apr to Dec) he has spent Rupees 25 lakhs from his fund, out of which 23 lakhs were spend on a single colony in which he himself resides.