Daily wager stands up against RTI ‘injustice’

Kartik Rojwar, a daily wage earner from a remote Neguria village in Purulia district, has become the epitome of citizen’s empowerment through Right to Information (RTI) Act in West Bengal. On August 8, the state information commission had imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the BDO of Puncha Block for furnishing false information to Rojwar and allegedly forging his signature on a document claiming that the public authority had provided the information he had sought.

On Saturday, state Chief Information Commissoner Arun Kumar Bhattacharya felicitated Rojwar at a function for his courage to question a public authority and stand up for the right to information. Rojwar had sought information about his wages of four days under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).

Speaking on the occasion, RTI activists also slammed the state information commission for its lackadaisical attitude in taking up the RTI queries.

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“In the last one year, the commission has conducted only 67 hearings in cases, where an individual was denied information by a public authority. Even Kerela, which is the second lowest in furnishing RTI information, has heard more than 1,000 cases,” said Moloy Bhattacharjee, an activist. Penalty was imposed on officials only in six cases and compensation awarded in two instances in West Bengal in the last three years, he added.

“The commission has done nothing to make the people aware about the Act,” said another activist.