In Kerala, anything concerned with the Right to Information Act 2005
appears to be a taboo for the visual media. The news media, of cource keep
pulling it out occassionally to sing its glories or highlight the damages it
can cause to the bureaucrates, how it is misused by cityzen , keeping mum to
the dismal performance of the Commission , neglected state of its web site
etc., etc., etc. Except certain odd exception, most of the news is
disinformation Now the news media appears decided to obligue the
bureaucrates and have started making a mockery of the RTI Act to shoo away
the Information Seekers. Given below is the Malayalam translation of news
given in the ' Personal ' column of the most leading Malayalam Daily
"MATHRUBHUMI" of date:
IF MORE INTERESTED IN THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION
" If someone is too keen to get information it put the bureaucrates in
difficulty. In a certain Village Panchayat Office of Wayanad District it
has become necessary to nominate an official as a Public Information Officer
exclusively for giving information. In the Village Panchayat ONE CLIENT want
to know the details of expendiure incured even for a NEEDLE. On knowing
occurance of any incidence there will be a flow of applications from this
CLIENT. He has already obtained information pertraing to Aacquittance
Roll, Attendance Register, Log Book, BPL Table. Consumer List and Minutes of
Panchayat Meetings. Now the cituation is that if HE is seen anywhere near
the Panchayat , the Panchayat Officials are in a psychological dilema
whether to WEAP or LAUGH."
The above be read in conjunction with following:
1. As per Section 5 of theRTI Act read with Government of Kerala Circulars
of 30-10-2006 it is obligatory on the Panchayat to designate a state Public
Information Officer within 120 DAYS.
2. As per Section 4 it is obligatory on the Panchayat
to publish information pertain to the above proactively
3. The information contained in the above records will expose the state of
functioning including attendance and drawal of pay and allowance which is
considered to be top secret information so far.
4. If someone take the trouble to expose the above information all types of
corruption if any in the Panchayat will be fully expossed
5. This appears not liked by the bureaucrates and the end result is above
news and those seeking information becomning a laughing stock.
Can a News Media render more help to the RTI Act ?
Instead of lenting a helping hand the above action of the
MATHRUBHUMY is defenitely likely to shoo away any cityzen from probing into
the functioning of the Panchayat which appears not liked by even the most
popular News paper MATHRUBHUMY,.
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