Denial of info under RTI baffles rights activists

HYDERABAD: To the utter dismay of a group of social activists, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), in its reply to a query under the Right To Information (RTI) Act, said citizens could not seek opinions using the Act.   

On December 29, 2021, Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL) convener G. Balaswamy complained of alleged encroachment and violation of irrigation, revenue and WALTA (water, land and trees) Act at Gurunadham Cheruvu at Miyapur, Serilingampally. In a written complaint, he alleged that a builder had encroached more than three acres of land from the lakebed, where a residential complex was being constructed.

The complaint stated that water from the lake was being pumped out and diverted, causing loss of more than 15,000 cubic metres of the lake’s rainwater storing capacity and increasing the danger of flash floods in downstream areas. The complaint was sent to the Rangareddy district collector, SE, lake division, GHMC, principal secretary (irrigation), principal secretary (MA&UD) and special chief secretary (revenue).

Over a month later, on February 3, 2022, the SOUL filed an RTI seeking details of the action taken by the GHMC over the complaint, and also sought a copy of the permission letter and the approved construction plan obtained by the builder of the residential complex on the lakebed.

However, the reply to the RTI did not divulge any of the information sought. Instead, it stated that citizens “can ask for copies of documents containing the information. But they cannot seek an opinion through a questionnaire.” The reply states that the “information which the applicant/appellant requested was about receiving advice and opinion from the public information officer about existing Act, rules and instructions.”

Environmental activist B.V. Subba Rao said he did not know what to make of the convoluted RTI reply. “Straightforward questions were asked in the RTI, but they used ‘Shakespearean language’ in the reply.”

Balaswamy said they would appeal to the Telangana State Information Commission regarding the information which was not provided to them in the RTI reply.