Mumbai: In an informative Right to Information (RTI) seminar, Vishwas Waghmode, an award-winning was invited to speak on how he used RTI as a tool to cover stories in his journalism career. Several activists, journalists including former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi were present.
During the event, Waghmode shared his detailed information on how Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial Project and the #Metoo Movement had taken the city by storm and how through RTI he managed to find out the loopholes involved.
Waghmode shared some vital information on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s memorial and the cost related to the entire project. He pointed out that CM Devendra Fadnavis instructed the release of payment to contractors without any proper official nod.
Waghmode also stated the fact that from the actual project cost, which is quoted at Rs 1,300 crore, Rs 350 crore was sanctioned to the contractor for building the statue as a result of which the size of the statue was reduced, but to cover up the estimates they increased the size of the sword by 7.5 metres.
During the #MeToo Movement, Waghmode had also filed an RTI asking whether the public departments had formulated any committee of enquiry for the safeguard of women employees. After investigating through RTI, he found out that there is no such committee in any of the Public Departments.
Later, when he enquired at the CM’s office, he was instructed to enquire in the general administrative department, wherein he was told since there were fewer female employees compared to male, it did not feel the need for the department to form a committee.
On further enquiry, he found out that there are more than 20 female employees in the CMO following which he issued an RTI seeking information as to why there is no committee for women employees. The question of which still remains unanswered. In the end, he pointed out some of the basic requirements one needs to keep in mind while filing an RTI.
“People need to be well-versed with the RTI Act and they should maintain a rapport with the Public Information Officers (PIO),” advises Waghmode, He also stated that one must do proper background research before filing an RTI so that her/his plea doesn’t get rejected. At the same time he advised the attendees to play a smart card in getting the information out.
When asked, did he also file an RTI for the Coastal Road Project, Waghmode replied, “I have yet to file an RTI with regard to this, but right now what I found out is that Mantralaya is more active and responsive than the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation”. The event, to share awareness regarding usage of RTI for the procurement of information, was indeed an eye-opener.