TMC draws flak for setting curbs on RTI queries

Thane: The civic body has drawn the censure of former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi who has suggested that the administration must be more proactive while sharing project-related information rather than setting curbs on RTI queries.
The development comes close on the heels of the municipal administration narrowing down a list of RTI activists suspecting them to be seeking information with malafide intentions. In a letter written to municipal commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal, Gandhi has suggested that the civic administration becomes more transparent so that there is very little scope for activists to seek information under RTI and 'misuse' it.

The former activist who was part of the National RTI movement which was involved in drafting the National Act suggested the TMC that they put up information about every project on website there would be no scope for blackmailers to operate in the first place as all the data is already in the open. Also, details of the information sought under any RTI can be highlighted online which, to an extent, could help curb any mischief, he said.

“I have written to the commissioner saying that it is the right of every citizen to get information about the functioning of the corporation and its projects. Stonewalling information by claiming misuse of information is not right. The Thane corporation must instead publicize the information sought by every RTI applicant, which I will, will help curb the menace,” said Gandhi.