'RTI exposes corruption of new dimension'

Guwahati, June 10 (UNI) In spite of the fee charged for seeking information under Right To Information (RTI) Act being as low as Rs 10, the system of payment envisaged has proved inconvenient to the public.

Stating this, L.C.Singhi, joint secretary and additional director of central information commission, told seminar here, ''Anyone seeking to pay the fee through bank draft has to pay an additional Rs 30 as bank charge. This amounts to more than double the principal amount.'' To negate this, Mr Singhi said, necessary amendments have been made so that the petitioner can pay the amount in cash or postal orders payable to the authorized officer.

''Right to Information Act is a developing regime which liberates people from nepotism, abuse and unfairness. This creation of judicial creativity has made it obligatory on every public authority to systematize its records and disclose it to the public,'' he said.

Mr Singhi underlined the need to systematize the records and data pertinent to the public authorities, so that the act does not become redundant.

''The present mindset of the bureaucracy coupled with lack of awareness among the masses regarding the act has retarded the success of the legislation. Sensitivity among the public workers, civil societies as well as commoners and proactive role on the part of the commission is the need of the hour,'' he added.

Chief information commissioner of Asom RS Mooshahary rued that the absence of a monitoring authority in so far as the implementation of the RTI Act is concerned.

''The information commission is not empowered to the extent it should be. It can only collect the information from the nodal authority,'' Mr Mooshahary stated.

Alluding to a recent incident in the Golaghat DRDA of upper Asom, the chief information commissioner said the act has exposed some corruption of new dimension.

Last week, the former Project Director of Golaghat DRDA Jogeshwar Nath was arrested on charges of siphoning government funds. Another senior official of the department was also suspended in the connection with the case.

The embezzlement was exposed after a social activist sought information under the RTI Act for expenditure under various government schemes done by the DRDA and the actual work done.

The revelations showed embezzlement of funds amounting to Rs 60 lakh as expenditure even though there was virtually no work done.

''I was in Kerala earlier. But I have never come across such corruption. Funds are flowing, whereas there's no work at all.

Teachers are being appointed and salaries paid even though there are no schools. Such corruption can only be checked through RTI,'' the chief information commissioner added.

Mr Mooshahary also informed that the Kamrup district adminstration has so far received 43 petitions, of which five are related to the National Highway Authority of India.

UNI