On one side, govt. want every credit for introducing RTI.
On the other side, it want to kill RTI.
Incoherent approach.
From: "rti4empowerment@yahoogroups.com" <rti4empowerment@yahoogroups.com>
To: rti4empowerment@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, 12 August 2012 12:47 PM
Subject: [rti4empowerment] Digest Number 1527[4 Attachments]
There are 2 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. LETHAL: Govt-CIC tirade to kill RTI
From: urvashi sharma
2. RTIFED NEWS: DISTURBING FACTS ABOUT FIRE FIGHTING ARRANGEMENTS IN TH
From: Surendera M. Bhanot
Messages
________________________________________________________________________
1. LETHAL: Govt-CIC tirade to kill RTI
Posted by: "urvashi sharma" rtimahilamanchup@gmail.com rtimahilamanchup
Date: Sat Aug 11, 2012 12:05 pm ((PDT))
LETHAL: Govt-CIC tirade to kill RTI
http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/ecostani/2012/08/11/lethal-govt-cic-tirade-to-kill-rti/
With the Central Information Commission joining hands with the
Government, country's Right to Information (RTI) Act is surely heading
for slow death, a desire of both politicians and bureaucrats.
Although the Central government had been trying dilution of the
transparency law for years, it succeeded to some extend this week
through new Right to Information (RTI) Rules 2012.
The new rule supersedes the Central Information Commission (Appeal
Procedure) Rules, 2005 and the Right to Information (Regulation of
Fees and Cost) Rules, 2005 and was issued without any prior
consultation with civil society or citizens.
In fact, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) —
government's nodal office for the RTI — treated the rules as a "top
secret" and did not place them on its website even after the
notification was issued. It was my colleague Aloke Tikku who placed
the detrimental rules in public domain with his stories on Friday and
Saturday.
The way the rules were notified to dilute the parent law shows the
intention of the government that is obstructionist in its approach
towards RTI. Instead of making getting information easier for people
the government has made it tough.
For the first time a condition of the application should not be of
more than 500 words had been made applicable and the poor will have
attach below poverty line certificate to claim exemption from the RTI
fees of Rs 10. Several civil society members such as National Advisory
Council (NAC) member Aruna Roy had opposed such conditions saying it
will interfere in citizen's right to seek information.
It is a well known fact that the bureaucrats and politicians are
extremely unhappy with people asking them uneasy questions such as how
much of public money has been spent on their travel. RTI has exposed
that bureaucrats and politicians in a year travel a distance between
earth and moon in a year with no accountability linked to such
travels.
If that was not enough the body of retired bureaucrats — the Central
Information Commission — has been ensuring through its orders that
people feel defeated in the long battle to seek information.
Recently, Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra rejected an
appeal seeking correspondence between the Prime Minister and Chief
Justice of India on the ground that it did not specify which
information was needed. Another Information Commissioner Sushma Singh
has a standard format to revert back the RTI appeals in cases where
the first appellate authority had failed to decide on the issue within
the specified time period. As a result, the battle to get information
from cloaks of government secrecy gets longer and longer.
Many of the other information commissioners appointed by the
government without any transparency and selection process are no
better. They have been helping the government to curb the voice of
dissent, essential for a matured democracy. It is resulting in growing
frustration among civil society using RTI to bring in a positive
change.
As, National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy had said, the space for
dissention in India is crunching with the governments cracking upon
those who stand to oppose them. May be media controlled through
government advertisements or civil society members through state
repression.
The trend — obvious with increase on attack on RTI activists — is
lethal and a sad commentary for our independence heading for 65 years.
Sadly, it is happening during the tenure of UPA government credited
with bringing a people friendly transparency law and involving civil
society in governance through NAC.
Messages in this topic (1)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. RTIFED NEWS: DISTURBING FACTS ABOUT FIRE FIGHTING ARRANGEMENTS IN TH
Posted by: "Surendera M. Bhanot" bhanot1952@gmail.com surendera.bhanot
Date: Sat Aug 11, 2012 1:56 pm ((PDT))
Dear RTIFED Menbers and RTI Activists & Groups
Brig. D.S. Grewal has made an in-depth inquiry through RTI on the working
of the Fire-Fighting arrangements and preparedness in Chandigarh. He was
kind enough to share the same with me with the request that the press may
be informed about the same. His revelation through RTI are attached.
Please find attached a study and outcome about the *DISTURBING FACTS ABOUT
FIRE FIGHTING ARRANGEMENTS IN THE TRICITY.*
In conclusion, it can be well stated that the Emergency and Fire Services
of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation are playing with the lives and property
of the citizens of the City Beautiful by not being trained in the duty they
are required to perform. Their existence in the present form is a sheer
wastage of the National Exchequer's money. They are oblivious of the
holding of their own equipment and to expect them to render adequate advice
to the residents, industrial units and other enterprises at their mercy for
firefighting seems to be asking for the moon. The Municipal Corporation of
Chandigarh needs to address these problems post haste. Proper periodical
training to the staff with requisite upgrades/refresher cadres, periodical
medical exams for the staff, adequate maintenance and upkeep of the
equipment at the Fire Stations must be undertaken with immediate effect by
the Department to be viable and come up to the expectations of the
citizens. Mutual Fire Fighting Schemes, both intra-city and inter-city for
the Tricity should be planned, coordinated and practiced periodically to
keep the Fire Staff fit and trained to take on any fires confidently. The
Department should make out a plan to analyse fire risk in different
localities and ensure that the where with all to counter that risk is
available *in situ*.
*Brig DS Grewal can be contacted at his Mobile at + 91 9988529930 and +91
9417002215. He can also be reached at Email: davindersgrewal@yahoo.com, and
one can meet him by prior appointment at # 270, Sector 33 A,
Chandigarh-160020*
The main Document and Appendix-A, D and F are in the doc file, while the
Appendix - C, E and G are attached as PDF files.
I shall feel obliged if the story is published in your esteemed paper
--
*GREETINGS AND WARM REGARDS
Surendera M. Bhanot*
- Coordinator, *RTIFED <http://www.rtifed.com/>*, Punjab Chandigarh
- President, *RTI Help & Assistance* <http://www.rtihelp.in%20> Forum
Chandigarh
- Life Member, *Chandigarh Consumers Association*
- Youth for Human Rights International - *YHRI
<http://yhrisouthasia.ning.com/group/leadershipinyouth>*- South Asia
- Jt. Secretary, Amateur Judo Association of Chandigarh
- Member, *SPACE <http://www.thespace.org.in>*- Society for Promotion and
Conservation of Environment, Chandigarh
*No. 3758, Sector 22-D, Chandigarh-160022
Mob: 919-888-810-811
PHONE: 91-172-5000970
FAX: 91-172-5000970*
*Mail Me* <bhanot1952@gmail.com>
--
*GREETINGS AND WARM REGARDS
Surendera M. Bhanot*
- Coordinator, *RTIFED <http://www.rtifed.com/>*, Punjab Chandigarh
- President, *RTI Help & Assistance* <http://www.rtihelp.in%20> Forum
Chandigarh
- Life Member, *Chandigarh Consumers Association*
- Youth for Human Rights International - *YHRI
<http://yhrisouthasia.ning.com/group/leadershipinyouth>*- South Asia
- Jt. Secretary, Amateur Judo Association of Chandigarh
- Member, *SPACE <http://www.thespace.org.in>*- Society for Promotion and
Conservation of Environment, Chandigarh
*No. 3758, Sector 22-D, Chandigarh-160022
Mob: 919-888-810-811
PHONE: 91-172-5000970
FAX: 91-172-5000970*
*Mail Me* <bhanot1952@gmail.com>
4 of 4 File(s) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rti4empowerment/attachments/folder/2005047495/item/list
Appendix E.pdf
Appendix C.pdf
Appendix G.pdf
Fire Fighting Snalrs.doc
Messages in this topic (1)
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