An RTI activist was denied a reply to application by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board over absence of a police permission to get information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
R Anbuvendhan, coordinator of All Slum Residential Welfare Associations Federation and an RTI activist, told Express that he was being made to run from pillar to post by the Community Development wing officials after he had sought information pertaining to a list of those facing eviction following the Port-Maduravoyal Elevated Expressway project by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board under RTI Act’s Section 7 (1) clause.
“As per Section 7 (1), the RTI information pertaining to the livelihood of affected persons should be provided within 48 hours, but till now I have not been given the information. Departments like Water Resource Organisation of Public works Department, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and Chennai Corporation were prompt in giving the information,” he said while providing the RTI documents to Express.
Anbuvendhan said he had filed the RTI seeking a list of project implementation area under the Chennai-Maduravoyal Elevated Expressway project besides list of hutments and commercial complexes that will be evicted and a copy of the documents. He also sought details on the resettlement schemes for the evicted persons.
“But no reply was given for over two months and I was being made to run from pillar to post. First they said they did not possess the information and when I complained to the TNSCB secretary, I was told by Chief Community Development Officer Kanakadhara that Maduravoyal-Chennai Port Elevated Expressway issue is sub-judice and the information cannot be provided,” he complained.
“While the departments involved in the case - National Highways Authority of India and Water Resources Organisation of PWD - had furnished the information within 48 hours of my filing the RTI, officials from Community Development in TNSCB, which include Chief Community Development Officer Kanakadhara and Community Officer Bhaskar, denied me the information saying the case is sub-judice,” said Anbuvendhan.
After this, Anbuvendhan appealed to the appellate authority seeking the information and also demanded action against the officials for denying the information. Following this he received a letter asking him to visit the department to peruse the files. “After going through the files, I wanted the copies of the files and asked the officials to furnish them,” he said.
To this, the TNSCB filed a reply stating that a concurrence letter was required from the police stating that the petitioner will not misuse the information, he said. “Where in the RTI Act is it written that I should get police certificate to get the information?” wondered Anbuvendhan.
When Express contacted Kanakadhara, the official defended the decision stating that she feared that the information might misused. “The top brass wanted the police clause to be included. We had a similar issue in Nochikuppam where the information was misused,” she said.