Ashley, your fears are unfounded. No officer who does has job well has anything to fear from the RTI. Sometimes, the RTI can also help to put systems in place, and send the message that citizens are assertive about the quality of services on offer.
Please re-read my RTI application below. The Right to Information Act 2005 (No 22 of 2005) is very clear on how it works. See http://righttoinformation.gov.in/webactrti.htm If systems are not in place, then the authorities are accountable for the same. Now, with this law, the citizen can ask specific queries, to find out what's wrong. In no way, can the higher-ups attempt to scapegoat a junior official (unless the failings were his). And I think we should not fall for any emotional blackmail on this point. The issue isn't about one, good, hardworking junior officer. It is a question of why such problems keep occuring, whether there are systemic faults involved (and if so, what can be done to rootout the same), and whether it is at all fair to charge urban rates from subscribers and offer sub-rural efficiency! FN On Sep 11, 4:37 pm, Ashley Delaney <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi rico > > On Saturday 11 September 2010 12:51 AM, Frederick Noronha wrote:> Gregory, As > far as being part of the "priviledged" in terms of phone > > services, you can be there too. You just need to pass on the message > > that your phone services are really important to you. > > Yes - you ahve to just tell them and your phone will be sorted out. mind > wa fixed at 1 in the morning cus i went in at that time :-P> Yesterday, the > phone exchange's junior engineer Mr Phadte was genially > > complaining that I had put him "in trouble" with my Right to > > Information application. Equally politely, I explained that we > > appreciated his work (even on the Saligao-Net), and that the RTI > > application was in no way targetting him. > > Rico - i have to disagree with you on this one - the way your RTU > application works - ALL the questions u asked were passed on down by our > famous BSNL authorities to mr phadte to answer - failing which, he has > to either pay fines or face disciplinary action. > in your RTI, u also mentioned that why no FIR or complaint to the fire > dep was made, or something to that effect - that has come back to haunt > him - and he has been pulled up for it inspite of his working overtime - > to the extent that after all this he may even face suspension - ALL > becasue of that RTI. Yes indeed you are to blame partially. but also > because of the way RTI works..... > > it will indeed be a big loss to saligao if something like this happens > to Mr phadte and i for one am not in favor of him being implicated for > something not his fault. if you can withdraw the RTI - please do it. > > > Instead, it was mean to point to systemic problems, which the > > higher-ups cannot afford to take for granted. > > > Regardless of the information give, I spent Rs 10 (and a trip to the > > Panjim general post office, very easy) to pass on a message to the > > authorities in charge that we cannot accept sub-rural conditions at > > the phone exchange while being made to pay urban rates for it. > > Lightening strikes, accidental fires and unmanned-by-night exchanges > > should not be acceptable, whether they have an employment freeze in > > the BSNL or not. > > > Using RTI is not rocket-science. If you need a tutorial on it, that's > > -- > Kind regards > > Ashley Delaney > > Devine Computers > Abreovaddo, Saligao, Bardez, Goa. > Ph: 9372240620 / 9823118321 > Branch: Opp Municipality, Shetye resicom, Shop #3. Bicholim > Ph: 9422448900 / 2361147 784 Saligao 403511 Goa [email protected] Phone +91-832-2409490 M +91-9822122436 >From Frederick Noronha Freelance Journalist House No 784 Near Lourdes Convent Saligao 403511 Bardez Goa August 30, 2010 Phone 0832.2409490 Mobile 9822122436 Date: August 31, 2010 Subj: Right to information To, The Public Information Officer BSNL-Goa 403001 Goa. Sir/Madam, Sub: Application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (Central Act No. 22/2005). I wish to apply for the following information, under the Right to Information Act (Central Act 22 of 2005): Number of days in August and September 2010 during which the Saligao Exchange was non-functional? Reason for this breakdown of service? By when will the current breakdown by repaired (all phones in the vilage have beenun-operational for the ast 4 days or so. Whether any responsibility was fixed for the accidental fire? Whether the Saligao Exchange (and other exchanges) are protected by staff, and if so, why was action not promptly taken in this case? Amount of loss suffered by this incident? List of cases of fires in telephone exchanges in the past 2 years. Whether the department has any plans to retain watchment or night-staff to take care of the taxpayers' money that goes down the drain by accidents such as this. I am herewith paying the application fee (Rs 10). If you are of the view that the above requested information does not pertain to your department, then please follow the provisions of Section 6(3) of the RTI Act 2005. Also, as per the provisions of the RTI Act, 2005, kindly provide the details (including name and designation) of the first appellate authority w.r.t. your reply to the above request, before whom I may, if required, file my first appeal. Thanking you, Sincerely yours, [Frederick NJ Noronha] -- This message comes via the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net?hl=en Please post regularly to keep the e-village active!
