RTI Act shows the way to access justice

Note: Personally I like such initiative, corruption is the real cause of problem in the nation. Empower the neglected, they will solve the problem themselves. RTI Act could be a great weapon to minimize, if not completely erased, corruption in public sectors. Such initiative by Antodaya is appreciable.


By Sri Dillip Kumar Das
Chairman ANTODAYA

The tribals and other marginalised section of the community in rural and inaccessible areas of Kalahandi district are the victims of government apathy as neither they raise their voices against the colonial attitude of the BABUs and the red tapeism prevails in the system, nor have the capacity to bribe the officials to access the benefits meant for them. Starting from the road communication to the villages and schools in the villages, from the PDS distribution to the wage payment under MGNREGA, from the drinking water facilities to the health facilities for the villages, from the electricity connection to the Anganwadi services, and from social security entitlements to the demarcation of land given as lease to landless, people in the rural area always live at the mercy of the SARKARI BABUS (government officials) who feel themselves as the masters of the poor. In seldom cases the poor people get their entitlements without oiling the hands of the officials who are the Public Servants in the democracy.

But, these days some youths in remote parts of Kalahandi are using the provisions of Right to information Act -2005 to assert their entitlements.

For example: Jagannath Singh, Sanatan Majhi & Kana Majhi of Melghara village, Mardaraj Singh of Dalguma village, Sarat Nayak & Bidyadhar Patra of Karlapat village in Karlapat GP of Thuamul Rampur block got selected under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) by the horticulture department to take up Vermin Compost tank with a subsidized support of government in the year 2010. The poor farmers constructed the Vermin-compost tanks and requested the horticulture department officials to release their money. But the officials at the office of the Horticulturist, Bhawanipatna delayed the matter knowingly till March 2011 without stating any reason thereof. The farmers visited the office of Horticulturist several times, but failed to get any result for this issue. Finally they applied for the information regarding delay in processing the file under Right to Information Act and within two weeks of their RTI application the money got released by the officials.

Likewise, inhabitants from number of villages in Nakrundi, Kerpai, Gunupur and Karlapat gram Panchayats were enlisted for solar power lighting system under Remote Village Electrification programme of RGGVY in the year 2009. With much persuasion the department people and Orissa Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) officials came to the villages during September 2010 for survey and formation of committees. After getting all those works done OREDA officials sent the materials to the villages during October 2010, but never turned up till end of November for installation of the lighting systems. In this situation the RTI Practioners of the area motivated the village people to file RTI application seeking information regarding the delay in installing the light system. Rabinarayan Singh of Karadapadar village and Natha Majhi of Sapmundi village in Karlapat GP filed the RTI application during month end of November 2010 regarding delay in the work. To every body’s surprise within 10 days from filling the application the technicians arrived at the villages and installed the lights and requested the villagers not to file any more RTI application on this matter.

Another case of RTI Act, is of 43 old age people in Kendupati and Nandol gram panchayats under Junagarh block is no different from the others, where the older citizens who are eligible for old age pension and widow pension were at the mercy of the block officials to get their applications cleared for release of their pension for months together. Jagabandhu Budhia, a RTI practioner from Kendupati village filed the RTI application seeking information regarding the status of these applications for Old Age Pension and Widow Pension. When the block officials of Junagarh received the RTI application of Jagabandhu Budhia hurriedly cleared all the applications.

Dronacharya Jani, a tribal young man from Kandh BrahmniGuda village under Kendupati GP of Junagarh block was deprived of his stipend money parking at the Jayadurga High School, Nandol since 2005, despite of his repeated application to the school management for last 5 years even after he left the school. But Dronacharya didn’t lose the hope in the system and after being trained on RTI by ANTODAYA in 2011, he filed the RTI application at the school seeking information about the reason behind denial of his entitlement. When the Head Master got the RTI application, he immediately rushed to Dronacharya and paid the stipend money, which was pending since 2005.

These stories above are some of the successes gained by the marginalised people using Right to Information Act for their rights, encouraged and facilitated by 6 (six) RTI clinic and Land rights resource centres established by ANTODAYA in remote parts of Thuamul Rampur and Junagarh blocks of Kalahandi. There are more such success stories of these marginalized people who got their entitlements through RTI Acts. It is important to note that marginalized people can ascertain their rights if they get the proper facilitation and hand holding support from people concerned about the empowerment of marginalised and affliction of the afflicted.        

Here we wish all the People of Kalahandi on the occasion of 16^th Kalahandi Utsav “GHUMURA-2012” and appeal all of them to use Right to Information to bring transparency in the governance system and see a better Kalahandi.

Jai Hind