Technology fails to provide information under RTI in Bihar

Bihar is one of the first states to accept right to information applications on phone. The objective was to ensure transparency and to expand its reach to villages, where the literacy rate is low. But the real picture is different

BIHAR GOVERNMENT established the ’Jankari’ call centre on 29 January 2007 under the guidance of Ramon Magsaysay Award winning social activist, Arvind Kejriwal. Though it was not working in all the districts, but it was working well in the state capital. Vibhav of Parivartan, a social organisation, was monitoring the functioning of the call centre.

Soon after he left, the call centre adopted a laidback attitude. It is a user friendly ICT (Information and Communications Technology) based facilitation centre to help citizens of Bihar in getting governance related information from public information officers (PIOs) under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI) within stipulated time frame. But people are facing hurdles in framing applications with this service.

Activists complain that the phone lines are often jammed, giving mental tension to the caller. According to some activists, the person framing the questions of the applicant is himself not much aware about the RTI Act. Therefore, the applications are often weak and thereby fail to trap the corrupt bureaucrats. It is also seen in some cases that the questions are not framed according to the desire of the applicant. This results in wrong interpretation of the information furnished by the applicant.

Use of ICT tools have been widely appreciated by the media and the people because of its user friendly format. It would be very useful for the rural people, who can get information without having to visit the office. But people are not able to use this facility, as it is not working in the villages as well as in the cities.

The sources say that Bihar has received nearly 1,700 telephonic applications on its number 155311 from the time it was established. Each call costs Rs 10 as fee and a copy of the application is sent to the applicant through courier.

"Nobody is picking up the phone, I wonder if the call centre still exists," says Sarfaraz, a Patna based social activist working on RTI. He further added that he tried to contact the call centre a number of times in the first week of October, but nobody picked up the phone even once.
Recently, activists of different districts tried the number of the call centre, but the call was dropped each time. This shows technical errors, which are yet to be fixed.

However, any organisation can replicate the project of ‘Jankari’. Any private group can adopt this concept and it does not require any intervening government department. But the private organisation will have to enter into an agreement with the Government so that the necessary fees for filing of application under RTI Act could be deposited with the government treasury.

merinews.com

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Bashi: Devastated by flood, ignored by administration

Bashi: Thirty kilometres north east of the district headquarters of Begusarai the small village, Bashi,witnessed a catastrophic change in its fortune in the wee hours of August 2. The swollen Budhi Gandak river breached the embankment and in no time wreaked havoc not only in that village but in the entire district.

The swirling waters swept away a large number of human beings, cattle as well as many houses. Besides 600 houses of Bashi Panchayat were badly affected by the flood. In all 128 houses in ward number five of the village were completely washed away by the flood.Though the flood claimed 23 lives 17 people are still missing. Around 8,000 acres of land lost its fertility due to accumulation of sand. Even a month later water refuses to drain out from the farmland.

It is not yet clear as to how the embankment was breached. However, it is said that the administration and nature, perhaps collaborated to cause this disaster. Local people complain that in the last ten years nothing had been done by the administration to strengthen the embankment. It is believed that Sahis(Indian Porcupine), a fossorial animal, furrowed the wall of embankment. The local villagers noticed the presence and activities of Sahis and complained to the administration but their plea fell on the deafears. No effort was made to plug the holes. This may be one of the reasons for the collapse of the embankment.

However, the officials are of the view that it was virtually impossible to hold back the fury of river, which changed its course, and thus the embankment was bound to give in. Bashi needs food and other relief materials, but it is still being ignored.

It is very unfortunate for the people of Bashi and more for those hailing from the economically and socially backward classes. A month after the calamity,relief is still to reach the real needy. Flood victims are finding it extremely difficult to restart their life. They say that the government has only distributed 50 kilograms of wheat and Rs 200 per head.“With water all around what will we do with wheat,”one of them asked with anger writ large on the face.They also complained that most of the relief materials were corned by the people belonging to a particular caste. They said that Pasis, Mallahs, Manjhi and Ansaris are yet to receive relief.

A young woman asked as to how could they restart their life and built their houses with the meagre amount of Rs 200. Instead of the government it is some non-government organizations which appeared more sensitive to the plight of the victims. They distributed relief packets of instant use such as candles, match boxes, biscuits, and sattu.

As in many other flood-hit villages people in Bashi have made relief camps of their own on the embankment of the river. The government has not made a single relief camp for them. Very few hand pumps in the vicinity are working. Life has come to a standstill in the village. There is no agriculture or business activities. Yet people of Bashi are still hoping against hope of the government help.

Mediapersons attacked by Mega Mart employees, Police

Patna: It was an unpleasant sort of Vishwakarma gift for the mediapersons of Bihar on Monday. They were caught on the wrong side of the stick of the employees of the Vishal Mega Mart as well as the police.

It all started this afternoon when the news spread that a fire had broken out due to short circuit in the double-storied Vishal Mega Mart, a cynosure for many in the state capital. When some newsmen and camerapersons reached the spot to inquire about the incident they were taken by a complete surprise.

The manager of the Mart, Manish Kumar, according to the mediapersons, ordered his employees to push them out of the commercial complex. After a brief melee, some of the employees came out, armed with hockey sticks and canes, and started assaulting the mediapersons, who were initially few in number.

The mediapersons were chased till the S P Verma road roundabout. However, an ETV reporter, Neel Kamal, who in fact was not among those who went to Mega Mart to cover the story, but was witnessing the incident from about 100 metres away, was caught by the employees-turn-hooligans of the Mart. He was dragged all the way and brought before the Mega Mart building and subsequently thrashed.

It remains a mystery as to how there were so many hockey sticks and lathis inside the Mega Mart. What is strange is that some employees were seen throwing stones from the roof of the Mega Mart. The police party which arrived at the spot after a few minutes initially remained mute spectators. The news of the attack on the journalists spread like a wild fire and some more mediapersons reached the spot. Along with some sympathizsers they sat on a dharna in front of the Mart, which was closed after the incident. The situation once again turned ugly when the agitating people started raising slogans against the chief minister, Nitish Kumar, and the police administration.

This time it was the police’s turn to swing into action. There was a stampede like scene all around the heart of the state capital. Many people got hurt in the police lathicharge.

This correspondent, who witnessed this incident, was surprised by the ferocity of anger against the mediapersons, both by the employees of the Mega Mart and the police. About half a dozen journalists were rushed to the Patna Medical College Hospital for treatment. One of them, Niranjan of Hindi daily Aaj, had his gold chain snatched by the employees of the Mega Mart.

Though nobody was prepared to defend the action of police and Mega Mart employees some independent observers felt that the over-enthusiasm shown by the mediapeople to cover the incident of fire was also responsible for this barbaric act. Incidentally local editions of some premier newspapers had their offices closed due to Vishwakarma Puja today.