HYDERABAD: While it’s true that information is power, for BJP State president Bandi Sanjay, information can also be the stepping stone to power. And what better way to obtain information than the RTI Act?
Donning the hat of an RTI activist, Sanjay raised RTI queries seeking information about Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s attendance at the Secretariat, the days he spent at Pragathi Bhavan and his farmhouse, the amount of salary he has drawn so far, the expenditure incurred over his tours to other States, whether he stayed in government guesthouses or in hotels during those visits, whether he travelled in special flights, funds spent on construction of Pragathi Bhavan, the time taken to build it and more.
Bandi raises debts, land grabbing issues in RTI applications
Bandi Sanjay’s RTI queries also related to education, health, employment, SC/ST welfare and revenue-related issues. These RTI queries have been addressed to the public information officers of various departments, seeking detailed replies.
Sanjay has sought information on how many assurances were made by the Chief Minister in various public meetings and on the floors of Assembly and Council, and how many of those have been fulfilled. His RTI query blitzkrieg has sought information on the action taken on MPs, MLAs and MLCs against whom stories were published in media outlets with regard to land grabbing.
Sanjay sought to know whether a task force headed by retired IAS officer SK Sinha was formed to submit their findings on land grabbing in Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts, whether the report was submitted to the government or not, and whether any action was taken.
The BJP MP has requested information on the funds spent on Dharani portal and who developed it, in addition to district-wise information on how many people had filed petitions with revenue disputes due to the portal, and how many of such i s sue s have be e n resolved. Sanjay also sought information on the State’s debt and expenditure before the formation of Telangana, how much debt has accumulated in these last 8 years, the rate of interest and the monthly payments being made to lending agencies.
Several queries concerning the welfare of SCs and STs were raised by Sanjay, who requested information on how much land was given to SC/ST beneficiaries under the land purchase scheme (LPS), who received those loans, on what have they spent the money, disbursement of subsidies to SC/ ST/BC beneficiaries under their respective corporations, year-wise budget allocation and funds spent as per SC/ST Sub-Plan in the last eight years.
His queries also covered the construction of 2BHK houses, funds allotted to gram panchayats by the State government, resolution of podu lands issues and pattas, detailed information sought on job notifications issues, vacancies filled, how many employees have retired and the status of implementation of Biswal Committee report on job vacancies. Constituency-wise coverage of irrigation, construction of government hospitals at mandal, assembly constituency and district levels action taken on erring rice millers and those selling PDS rice in the open market also figured among his queries.
FINE FOR NOT RESPONDING TO RTI QUERIES
If the State Public Information Officer, without any reasonable cause, refuses to receive an application for information, fails to furnish information within the time specified under Sub-section (1) of Section 7 of the Right to Information Act, malafidely denies the request for information, knowingly gives incorrect, incomplete or misleading information, or destroys information which is the subject of the request, or obstructs in any manner in furnishing the information; that official is liable to a penalty of Rs 250 each day till application is received or information is furnished. However, the total amount of such penalty shall not exceed Rs 25,000.
Bandi’s queries