BeyondHeadlines News Desk
Being refused information under RTI for almost 300 days now, Shiv Brat Das, a veteran air warrior has initiated an online petition urging the BDO and Public Information Officer of Dumka, Jharkhand, to reply at the earliest.
“I filed an RTI to Dayanand Kargi, BDO and Public Information Officer, Dumka on 07 November, 2013 for details about land allotment for ex-servicemen. I followed it up with first appeal to SDO, Dumka on 06 January, 2014 and second appeal to State Information Commission, Ranchi on 24 February, 2014. No information has yet been provided by any one of the above”, said Das.
He added that he had also sent letter to CIC, Delhi on 30 March, 2014. As this RTI was a State subject, hence it was forwarded from CIC, Delhi to Jharkhand State Information Commission, Ranchi vide Diary number 127365 on 24 May 2014.
Terming RTI as one of the powerful weapons to fight corruption, Das said that the purpose of RTI is forfeited as at grass root level in small villages and towns, these are not implemented. Even when we go higher up to State level, nil progress is evident.
Das added that there are number of websites, grievance portals, and other means of digitization that come up regularly for the welfare of citizen of this country, but the basic point of doing the service by various Government agencies, as per policies and laws of the land, remains unaffected. The basic purpose of RTI remains useless if these are not answered.
While requesting the fellow citizens to sign his petition, Das said, “Even a single government official not being accountable will undermine the RTI Act itself. We need to demand accountability.”
