RTI becomes a boon in private lives too
Mumbai: When Violet Lobo (name changed) bought a row house at New Mhada Complex at Dindoshi, she was appalled to find that her neighbour had illegally constructed a toilet in the compulsory open space next to her boundary wall. After all efforts at persuasion failed, Lobo wrote to Mhada, the state housing board, in February 2007.
After getting no reply, she visited Mhada and even met the executive engineer, only to be asked, So many VIPs live in the complex, how can we take any action?
Finally, Lobo, a media professional, consulted Kewal Semlani of Mahaadhikar, an NGO that spreads awareness about the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Lobo then filed an RTI application with Mhada in October 2007 asking what action they had taken on her complaint. If the toilet is illegal, why is it not being demolished? was my second query, said Lobo. In December 2007, Mhada wrote back saying the toilet was illegal and would be demolished. Eventually, the toilet was demolished on January 30, 2008.
The simple act of officials having to put down facts on paper and giving them to citizens forced Mhada to take action, said Lobo, who was earlier under the impression that the RTI Act was only for getting information about big projects.
In another case, the RTI Act helped NRI Tushar Dalvi get a refund of Rs 1 lakh from the income tax department. The refund was pending for five years and Dalvi was told that he would have to spend Rs 50,000on service charge and incidental expenses if he engaged professional help. Finally, an RTI application did the trick and he got the refund in three months.
There are thousands of cases in which the RTI Act has helped the common man get justice without having to run from pillar to post. Take the case of Qamar Qazi, 73, who was illegally removed as trustee of the Anjuman Tarakki Achra on the basis of signatures of dead and fictitious members of the educational trust. The Charity Commissioners office sat on the case till Qazi filed an RTI application. Within a month, the commissioner replied that the fake no-confidence motion against Qazi had been set aside and an inquiry had been ordered against the trustees.
Finally, the individual citizen who had no voice has got a tool which he can use from his own house, said RTI activist Shailesh Gandhi, explaining the significance of the Act.
After getting no reply, she visited Mhada and even met the executive engineer, only to be asked, So many VIPs live in the complex, how can we take any action?
Finally, Lobo, a media professional, consulted Kewal Semlani of Mahaadhikar, an NGO that spreads awareness about the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Lobo then filed an RTI application with Mhada in October 2007 asking what action they had taken on her complaint. If the toilet is illegal, why is it not being demolished? was my second query, said Lobo. In December 2007, Mhada wrote back saying the toilet was illegal and would be demolished. Eventually, the toilet was demolished on January 30, 2008.
The simple act of officials having to put down facts on paper and giving them to citizens forced Mhada to take action, said Lobo, who was earlier under the impression that the RTI Act was only for getting information about big projects.
In another case, the RTI Act helped NRI Tushar Dalvi get a refund of Rs 1 lakh from the income tax department. The refund was pending for five years and Dalvi was told that he would have to spend Rs 50,000on service charge and incidental expenses if he engaged professional help. Finally, an RTI application did the trick and he got the refund in three months.
There are thousands of cases in which the RTI Act has helped the common man get justice without having to run from pillar to post. Take the case of Qamar Qazi, 73, who was illegally removed as trustee of the Anjuman Tarakki Achra on the basis of signatures of dead and fictitious members of the educational trust. The Charity Commissioners office sat on the case till Qazi filed an RTI application. Within a month, the commissioner replied that the fake no-confidence motion against Qazi had been set aside and an inquiry had been ordered against the trustees.
Finally, the individual citizen who had no voice has got a tool which he can use from his own house, said RTI activist Shailesh Gandhi, explaining the significance of the Act.
MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE (A few RTI success stories)
J J School of Arts alumnus Vidya Vaidya filed an RTI query after she came to know that priceless works of art were lying in the vaults of the JJ school and slowly deteriorating. She got a list of the paintingswhich included the works of masters like Gaitonde, Raza and Husain and J J authorities revived the rare paintings and are exhibiting them.
Aziz Amreliwala, an Andheri-based furniture dealer, while on his way home noticed that the clock on the heritage building housing Crawford Market was not working. He filed an RTI query with the BMC. The BMC responded and has repaired the clock.
Nashik resident Balasahib Kurup, after travelling in ST buses between Mumbai and his home, decided to find out why the vehicles were in such bad shape. He found out that over 60% of the buses did not have horns, brake lights, tail lights and first-aid boxes. The ST department has now ordered for parts and accessories to fix the buses.
Chetan Kothari, a hapless investor, lost his life-savings in the multi-crore Suman Motels investment scheme. He filed an RTI query to discover if there was a nexus between the police and the prime accused. The RTI query revealed that 149 arrest warrants and 159 summons had been issued by the Wadala and Matunga police stations against Suman Motels MD Surendra Khandar, yet none of them had been executed. The Mumbai police are now conducting an intra-departmental probe. Khandar has been arrested and released several times on bail. TNN
Aziz Amreliwala, an Andheri-based furniture dealer, while on his way home noticed that the clock on the heritage building housing Crawford Market was not working. He filed an RTI query with the BMC. The BMC responded and has repaired the clock.
Nashik resident Balasahib Kurup, after travelling in ST buses between Mumbai and his home, decided to find out why the vehicles were in such bad shape. He found out that over 60% of the buses did not have horns, brake lights, tail lights and first-aid boxes. The ST department has now ordered for parts and accessories to fix the buses.
Chetan Kothari, a hapless investor, lost his life-savings in the multi-crore Suman Motels investment scheme. He filed an RTI query to discover if there was a nexus between the police and the prime accused. The RTI query revealed that 149 arrest warrants and 159 summons had been issued by the Wadala and Matunga police stations against Suman Motels MD Surendra Khandar, yet none of them had been executed. The Mumbai police are now conducting an intra-departmental probe. Khandar has been arrested and released several times on bail. TNN