Odisha: RTI proved dangerous to crusader

Orissadiary, Aug 6, 2012

Report by Pradeep Baisakh, Bhubaneswar: The transparency law may have empowered the citizen to seek accountability from the government, but it may also prove to be fatal to the ones who use it. Dhoba Sahu person from Dabriguda village of Gunpur Panchayat in Kalahandi district of Odisha was beaten last month by the Gram Rojgar Sevak (GRS-a Panchayat level official) Brahma Duria and was threatened to be eliminated. The poor Dhoba has filed a FIR near the Thuamul Rampur Police station before a month, but the aggressors are still at bay.  What was the fault of Dhoba?
Before about a year, some villagers told Dhoba that the GRS, while distributing their pensions (old age, widow pension and pension for disabled etc), kept a cut of a thousand rupees from all of them. A complaint was made near the Collector though the local Member of Parliament Shri Bhakta Charan Das. Dhoba filed a RTI near the Gram Panchayat office seeking the list of the beneficiaries of various pension schemes like old age, widow pension, pension for disabled etc. Following an order of the Collector, the then sub Collector Jagannath Mohanty found the allegations to be correct in an inquiry. The sub collector’s report, which was submitted to the Collector on 27 August 2011, reads “The beneficiaries have paid Rs 1000/- each out of the sanctioned Rs 2800/- to Sri Brahma Duria, GRS. He had collected the amount for preparing necessary document for pension. The Sub Collector also recommended for recovery of the money for distribution among the victims and for further inquiry of all pension disbursement of all the 106 beneficiaries in the Panchayat.
Copy of this report was collected by Dhoba by use of Right to Information. The villagers then met the District Collector and demanded money recovery and the dismissal of the GRS. This did not go well the GRS who came with the Naib Sarpanch Bisikesan Duria and another person Suresh Durai and beaten Dhoba near his tea stall. “They thrashed me and threatened to kill me if I go to the police station and inform the media. They also used abusive language against my wife”  said Dhoba in a complaint made near Thuamul Rampur police station on 20 June 2012. The then Superintendent of Police was also intimated but none have been arrested yet.  S Ahmad, the new SP of the district, expressed ignorance on the matter but assured to arrest the aggressors if the case is genuine. “I assure that justice will be done to the victim and the aggressor will be arrested if found guilty.”
When contacted, an agitated Collector Dukhishyam Satpathy said “I have ordered for the dismissal of the GRS. But as I am not the appointing authority for GRS, I cannot dismiss him. The Panchayat can dismiss him. In so far as recovering the money taken as bribe is concerned, I will look into the matter.”
The local Television journalist, Mahammad Aslam, who has been following matter, says “This is a remote tribal area. Money coming for the development of the Tribals and Dalits are siphoned away by the officials and the middlemen. But many go scot free due to lack of evidence. But, this is a case in point where the embezzlement is found to be done on record but still no action is taken on the corrupt. This shows how sensitive is the administration to the welfare of Tribals and Dalits.”