A STORY OF COURAGE ,JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT THROUGH THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT

Here is a story I wrote about Right to Information and how it can help people:

Rajesh was a young journalist who wanted to expose the corruption and mismanagement in his city. He had heard many stories of how the municipal corporation was wasting public money on unnecessary projects, while ignoring the basic needs of the citizens. He wanted to find out the truth and report it to the public.

He decided to use the Right to Information Act, 2005, which is an act of the Parliament of India that sets out the rules and procedures regarding citizens' right to information. He filed an RTI application with the municipal corporation, asking for details of the budget, expenditure, contracts, and audits of various projects undertaken by them in the last five years. He also asked for information on the complaints received from the citizens and the action taken by the authorities.

He paid a nominal fee of Rs. 10 and submitted his application to the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the municipal corporation. He expected to receive a reply within 30 days, as per the provisions of the RTI Act. However, he was disappointed when he did not receive any response even after a month. He suspected that the PIO was deliberately delaying or denying him the information, as he might have something to hide.

He decided to file an appeal with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) of the municipal corporation, who was a senior officer above the PIO. He wrote a letter explaining his grievance and requesting for an early disposal of his RTI application. He hoped that the FAA would be more cooperative and transparent.

However, he was shocked when he received a letter from the FAA, rejecting his appeal on the grounds that his RTI application was vague, frivolous, and not in public interest. The FAA also accused him of misusing the RTI Act for personal gain and harassment of the public servants. Rajesh felt that this was a clear violation of his right to information and an attempt to suppress his voice.

He decided to file a second appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC), which is an independent statutory body that hears and decides on complaints and appeals related to RTI matters. He wrote a detailed letter explaining his case and attaching copies of his RTI application, PIO's reply, FAA's order, and other relevant documents. He requested the CIC to direct the municipal corporation to provide him the information he sought and impose penalty on the PIO and FAA for their negligence and malafide.

He waited patiently for his appeal to be heard by the CIC. After a few months, he received a notice from the CIC, informing him about the date and time of his hearing. He prepared himself well and appeared before the CIC with confidence. He presented his arguments and evidence before the CIC and requested for justice.

The CIC heard both sides and examined the documents carefully. The CIC found that Rajesh's RTI application was valid, specific, and in public interest. The CIC also found that the PIO and FAA had failed to perform their duties under the RTI Act and had given false and misleading reasons for rejecting his RTI application. The CIC ordered the municipal corporation to provide Rajesh with all the information he sought within 15 days. The CIC also imposed a penalty of Rs. 25,000 each on the PIO and FAA for their willful default and obstruction of information.

Rajesh was overjoyed with the CIC's order. He thanked the CIC for upholding his right to information and protecting his freedom of expression. He received all the information he sought from the municipal corporation within 15 days. He analyzed the data and found many instances of corruption, irregularities, and inefficiency in various projects undertaken by them. He wrote a series of articles exposing these scams and published them in his newspaper. His articles created a huge public outcry and demand for accountability from the municipal corporation. The government took notice of his reports and ordered an inquiry into the matter. The guilty officials were suspended and prosecuted for their crimes.

Rajesh became a hero in his city. He received many accolades and awards for his courageous journalism. He also inspired many other citizens to use RTI as a tool to fight corruption and demand transparency from their government. He proved that Right to Information is not only a human right, but an essential tool that empowers citizens to demand accountability from governments, participate in public life, and fight corruption through knowledge.