CHENNAI: Filing an RTI (Right To Information) petition under the City Corporation may lead to uninvited visitors from the Corporation landing at your doorstep.
Ravindran (name changed), a resident of Chromepet, had sought information on the legality of the banners placed in Nandambakkam, ahead of the Chief Minister’s Iftar celebration last year. On Thursday, he was informed that Corporation staff from the Adyar zone (zone 13) had attempted to visit him at his residence, with a copy of the RTI that he had filed, he said.
“On Wednesday night, I received a call from an assistant executive engineer in the zone who asked me to send photos of the banners through WhatsApp. The next day when I came home, I was told that a Corporation staff had asked the house owner of my whereabouts when I was at work,” said Ravindran.
In December last, Ravindran had filed an RTI asking if permission had been given to place the banners for the Chief Minister’s arrival, in Nandambakkam. A response to the RTI stated that no such permission was awarded.
“The unauthorised banners and hoarding have been removed by the officials of the Greater Chennai Corporation,” the RTI response stated.
In a second RTI on March 6, the applicant had sought details of the names and designations of the officials who had removed the banners, for which he did not receive a response even after the lapse of the 30-day deadline. He, had then, filed a first appeal which in turn, allegedly prompted a visit from the Corporation staff.
The Public Information Officer at the zone level is the Executive Engineer. When contacted, the Corporation official who is also the appellate authority concerned, said that he has received no complaints so far and will inquire into the matter.
No RTI reply
On March 6, the RTI applicant had sought the names, designation of officials who had removed the banners but did not receive a response even after the lapse of the 30-day deadline. He then filed a first appeal that allegedly prompted a visit from Corporation staff