Many of Bollywood’s best action flicks highlight one man and his fight against corruption. Yet when this transpires in real-life, the stories are far from heartening. A petitioner from Rajasthan sought to demand answers from the local authorities under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. However, in a case of gross misconduct, Vikas Choudhary
was sent sealed packets of condoms instead of the answers he sought.
Allegedly corrupt practices in the village panchayat led Vikas to request the information. However, the officials at the Bari Gram Panchayat of Bhadra Tehsil in Hanumangarh district seem to be taking this rather lightly. They reportedly sent Vikas a box of male contraception by post soon after he requested information about the gram panchayat with an RTI.
The Right To Information Act of the Parliament of India was passed in 2005 to ensure that the public could seek answers and evidence from the authorities on pertinent issues of public concern. It allows any citizen of India to request information from a body of Government or “instrumentality of State”. The authorities are mandated to revert swiftly to the query within 30 days.
However, local authorities of Bhadra Tehsil in Hanumangarh district seem to be using condoms to send a figurative ‘up yours’ to concerned citizens. The real trouble is that this is not an isolated incident. Earlier, Manohar Lal had requested the same information about the village panchayat. He too allegedly received a packet of condoms in response, reports DNA India.
Since the nasty incident had already been reported in village circles, Vikas was wary when his package came in. Choudhary promptly started recording an unboxing video prior to ripping open the envelope. Needless to say, he captured proof of the act on camera and proceeded to alert the Bari Gram Panchayat of Bhadra Tehsil.
The villagers await a fitting response and police investigation into the perpetrators of the acts. Media reports show that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hanumangarh Jila Parishad Navneet Kumar called it a “mischievous act”. He has assured swift action against the culprit for misusing the RTI.
“The regrettable and illegal act has been done by some unknown person who appears to have access in the official system,” Kumar said.
Indeed it is shocking that the officials seem to be making a mockery of the RTI Act that has been used by lakhs of citizens across the country to exercise their right to information. How would you school such vituperative officials? Tell us in the comments!