MUMBAI: An official of the agriculture department in Satara district was recently fined for furnishing incomplete documents to a right to information activist.

Even as Maharashtra is grappling with implementing the Central Right to Information Act, which has replaced the State Act, there are instances of how government officials are evading their duties under the law.

Shivaji Raut, who is part of the National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI), told The Hindu that on August 3, 2005, he asked for muster rolls, measurement books and passing registers for employment guarantee scheme (EGS) works in three villages in drought-prone Khatav Taluka of Satara district. However, the information officer, who is the taluka agriculture officer, gave no information within the stipulated 15 days. Mr. Raut had to approach the first appellate authority, the sub-divisional agriculture officer.

It was on September 26 that he was given the passing registers and the measurement books of the three villages, while the muster rolls were given to him only on October 17. Mr. Raut had applied for information under the Maharashtra Right to Information (MRTI) Act, which has been replaced by the Central law since October 12.

In one of the villages, Mr. Raut tried to verify the muster rolls and found the usual irregularities and in another village, Palashi, he did not get any cooperation from the local people.

In Vadi village, where he announced in advance his intention to read out the muster rolls, he was visited by the former sarpanch of the village, Uttamrao Yeole, and a contractor who appealed to him to call off his programme, saying people were not interested. But what Mr. Raut found after going through the passing registers was that certain muster rolls referred to in the registers were not given to him. He filed a complaint to the Collector and other authorities. He said that while 76 muster rolls were given to him, he found at least seven other musters were not. He demanded action against the Khatav taluka agriculture officer for not giving him the required documents.

In an order of December 1, the sub-divisional agriculture officer imposed a fine of Rs. 2,000 on Raghunath Sartape, the taluka agriculture officer and public information officer, for providing incomplete information under the MRTI. He is the first officer in the district to be fined from this department. An inquiry has also been ordered into the seven muster rolls, which are suspected to be bogus.

While Mr. Raut has been demanding information under the law, he still finds officials delay the process and often he has to go to the appellate authority for intervention.

While many government information officers have been fined since 2003, the question is how many pay up the fine.

According to Shailesh Gandhi, who has been working on the right to information, there is little evidence of people paying their fines.

In fact, the Lok Ayukta, which is the final appellate authority under the MRTI, waived the fines for nine government officials who were penalised under the Maharashtra Act. While members of the public have been using the right to information act, there is still a marked reluctance from the bureaucracy to part with information.

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