TOI inspires slew of RTI applications

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/TOI-inspires-slew-of-RTI-applications/articleshow/24770820.cms

TOI inspires slew of RTI applications

TNN | Oct 27, 2013, 03.33 AM IST


LUCKNOW: The Times of India's 'I Lead India' campaign got
enthusiastic response from people in Lucknow on the Right To
Information Day. The campaign has been promoting understanding of the
Right to Information (RTI) Act among people by way of lectures from
RTI activists and workshops and interactive programmes. In the series
of the same efforts, people were encouraged to file RTI applications
at government departments and seek answers on wide-ranging issues and
policies of the government on Friday.

Encouraged by the TOI's campaign, a city resident Ramswarup Yadav
sought information about the widow pension scheme in his village in
Unnao. Yadav filed an RTI query at the DM office and sought an 'action
taken' report on the letter sent by him to the district social welfare
officer and the district magistrate in the past regarding the widow
pension scheme. Yadav is hopeful his RTI application will serve the
purpose.

A civil services aspirant Gyanesh Pandey filed an RTI with the nagar
nigam. The first-timers benefited from the guidance of RTI activist
Sanjay Sharma. "I also filed an RTI to mark the day and to be an
actual participant in TOI's campaign," said Sharma. He, as part of
TOI's campaign on RTI, had also held the workshop where he provided
people the know-how to file the RTI application.

A school student Aishwarya Sharma filed an RTI with the UP government
seeking details of the funds allocated and released for Gomti
conservation. She also sought details about rules, if any, made by the
government to prohibit people from throwing waste in Gomti and idol
immersion.

To make the TOI campaign a hit, Salim Baig from Moradabad filed five
RTI applications with the Central government. He filed an RTI
application in the Prime Minister Office (PMO) seeking details about
the MPs with criminal backgrounds and schemes meant for uplift of
minorities in the country.

"A lot of people have mailed us the applications they want to file
under the RTI Act. We will help them do so," said Sharma. The RTI Act
has become a potent tool for the common man which they can use to fix
accountability of the government departments. The TOI's campaign
furthered the cause aptly on the RTI Day.

--
- Urvashi Sharma
Contact 9369613513
Right to Information Helpline 8081898081
Helpline Against Corruption 9455553838
http://yaishwaryaj-seva-sansthan.hpage.co.in/

http://upcpri.blogspot.in/