Advantages of R.T.I. Act

    Right to information act better known as RTI, comes into effect on 13th October, 2005 in the country which was passed by parliament on 15th June, 2005, it is a tool given to the public by government of India to get any information related to government offices’, and as per RTI act department is bound to pass on desire information within specific time frame that is thirty five to forty five days, depending upon request submit to PIO or APIO, otherwise lapse of every day concerned officers will be punished with fine in rupees on daily basis. With the help of RTI act people gets lots of specific information, which before the RTI act government offices’ often skip or rather not consider it as their liabilities to pass on to the general public. It shows that government employees work up to the mark only when something imposes on them forcibly otherwise they know how to pass on buck of responsibilities on to others shoulders and unnecessarily harass the common people. The information pass on to desired person with specific information and true by nature. Below are two examples of RTI tools which contains information of government departments and how they are misusing liabilities –

• As per information pass on to Mr. Ashish Bhattacharya in the year 2008, Food Corporation of India (F.C.I.) had accepted that in their godowns 1.83 lakhs ton wheat, 3.95 lakhs ton rice and 22,000 ton paddy were ruined during past five years. After this shocking revelation of F.C.I., Mr. Anand Kumar member of Parliament in the house had asked question from Food and Agriculture minister Mr. Sharad Pawar, “If his ministry is going to take action against responsible officers who are unable to take care of food items.” In reply Mr. Sharad Pawar said that he will take action against it. When no action was taken then on 6th January, 2010, R.T.I. activist Mr. Ashish Bhattacharya seek an information under R.T.I. act from Food and Agriculture ministry, “What action government has taken against the question and how much grain rotten further in the godowns of F.C.I.? Shocking information received by Mr. Bhattacharya in which ministry accepted that until 1st January,2010 total 14,088 metric ton food items ruined further in the warehouses of F.C.I. Along with it ministry also forward stats of different zone –

East Zone – 1,010 ton wheat
                     1,506 ton rice
                          54 ton paddy
North East Zone – 53 ton wheat
                               6,80 ton rice
North Zone - 73 ton wheat
                      4,648 ton rice
South Zone – 6 ton wheat
                      71 ton rice
West Zone – 1434 ton wheat
                       164 ton rice
                       81 ton paddy
as per words of Mr. Bhattacharya in the Government reply after 4rth August,2009, the day when Mr. Anand Kumar asked question, total 2576 ton wheat, 7069 ton rice ruined in the warehouses of F.C.I. and in it 2083 ton rice from Punjab and West Bengal’s 757 ton another food items are not included.

• Mr. Mahesh Bhattacharya gets information in reply to his petition which he submit under RTI act and he received list of thirteen corrupt officers with their names and state location. At present in the country against 13 senior IAS officers at least twenty six cases are pending, and to start cases against them government nod is waiting. Out of it three cases’ files have been sent to Prime Minister, for next action final decision is waiting. Name of officers are –

1. Karamvir Singh Sandhu ( Punjab )
2. K.R.K. Shrivastwa (U.T.)
3. Kawadi Narsimha ( U.T.)
4. K.J.S.L. vaish Assam Manipur)
5. R.S. Shrivastwa ( Rajasthan)
6. L.V.Subrahmaniyam ( Andhra Pradesh)
7. Mandeep Singh (Punjab)
8. Sanjeev Kumaar ( Haryana)
9. Subhash Chander Ahluwalia ( Himachal Pradesh)
10. Rakesh Mohan ( U.T.)
11. Praful Chamd Mishra ( Orissa)
12. Sudhir Prasad ( Jharkhand)
13. Vinod Kumar ( Orissa)

Due to RTI act above coded information is possible to public courtesy two application filed by Mr. Ashish Bhattacharya and Mr. Mahesh Bhattacharya. Had it been no RTI act in the country then no way information would have been available to citizen of the country.