CHENNAI: NGOArappor Iyakkam on Tuesday wrote to the Chief Minister MK Stalin alleging that citizens seeking information under RTI application were being threatened and demanded action against government officials who had leaked their contact details.
The NGO quoted three recent incidents to buttress their claim: firstly, Janakiraman of Tiruvannamalai, who had filed a couple of RTIs seeking details on eligibility criteria of PM Awas Yojana, was asked by the local Panchayat president to issue a letter stating that he wouldn’t file such RTIs and seek such information.
In the second case, RTI applicant Ajith Kumar from the same village sought details regarding fund utilisation by the panchayat. He was also called by the panchayat president and asked to provide a letter that he won’t seek information under RTI.
In the third case, RTI applicant T Tony of Tirunelveli sought information from the mines department regarding rough stone quarries in Radhapuram taluk. One of the quarry owners called him up and questioned the purpose of filing such RTI applications and gave a warning to desist from such activities.
Arappor said that these incidents indicated how public information officers (PIOs) were not protecting the identity of RTI applicants. The NGO demanded action against the PIOs who revealed the identity and contact numbers of applicants to the politicians and quarry owner and ensure protection of the RTI applicants.