RTI, a weapon of blackmailing for some

RTI, which in fact came into being to bring more transparency in the administration, is being misused by some persons as a weapon to blackmail government officers. There have been numerous complaints in this regard. By filing RTI applications, people can get information about various government schemes and funds actually consumed on their completion. Using it as a weapon, some RTI activists are gaining notoriety for blackmailing 'tainted' officers to extract construction works and supply orders worth crores from them. They modus operandi is very simple. They first make a list of various development works and supply orders which they feel have been allotted to contractors in violation of the government norms. Then, under RTI, they apply for details of these works. When the officials concerned show unwillingness to part with the information they have asked for, they start blackmailing them, seeking contracts and supply orders for not pushing their RTI applications. The RTI weapon has been working well for them as they have grown rich and their assets have swollen like anything in the past two years, or so. Under RTI, every citizen has the right to know about the government functioning, and also about the construction works executed by various departments. While there are several genuine RTI activists who have been making good use of this act to expose corruption and other wrongdoings in the state administration, there are others who are making its use for their own benefit. Even a simple effort by the state's anti-graft agencies would be enough to lay hands on these blackmailers and expose fishy deals between them and the 'tainted' officials. The officials, who are alleged to be allotting them works in violation of the set government norms, are further using them against some of their 'rivals' who have a bad track record. Even if these RTI activists are allotted works following the set norms, the officials concerned ought to be questioned as to why they have favoured them while making allotments. The other vital aspect of this issue is that whether tenders, against which they have got contracts, were published in the leading local dailies, or not. Dozens of applications are being received by various government departments from the people, seeking information under RTI.

In certain cases, the officials concerned are, however, alleged to be asking them to withdraw their applications. On several occasions, public information officers (PIOs) have rejected applications on trivial grounds. There were also instances when genuine applicants were threatened of dire consequences in case they did not withdraw their applications. A man of Ramnagar was forced to flee home and take shelter in a friend's house in Jammu after he had filed an application under RTI, seeking details of irregularities committed in the government higher secondary school, Ramnagar.

Some armed youth had barged into his house at Ramnagar and given him life threat if he did not withdraw his application. Such people, who are working against the spirit of RTI, must be identified and booked under the law of the land. This is must to maintain the sanctity of RTI.