TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: RTI activist and Congress spokesman Sudip Tamhankar on Tuesday accused the BJP government of trying to sabotage the Right to Information (RTI) Act by pressurizing government officials not to provide information under the act.
Tamhankar, who has been booked on charges of abusing and insulting the modesty of the Under Secretary (Law), has demanded disciplinary action against the officer for denying information under RTI. A complaint has already been made to Law Secretary and Chief Secretary, Tamhankar told media persons.
The RTI activist was on a day-long hunger strike at Azad Maidan in the capital city protesting against Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s move to suppress information under the act. The activist is been supported by Congress party and Goa RTI forum.
Tamhankar alleged that Goa Lokayukta justice Sudershan Reddy’s resignation was under political pressure.
“The RTI activists are been harassed by BJP government by either denying or delaying information under the act,” Tamhankar said urging Union Ministry of Information to intervene in the matter.
“I am ready to get arrested if proven guilty,” Tamhankar has challenged the government. He asserted that the complaint filed against him was a conspiracy by the Chief Minister, his legislative colleagues and advocate general.
The activist said that on April 1 he filed total 28 applications in various departments, including law department, seeking information about the amount spent on AG for filing different cases in different courts. “Till April 30, all departments furnished details except for law department. Several reasons were cited for not providing information. After I threatened to go on hunger strike, false and incorrect information was provided to me on October 25 morning, the same day when a police complaint was filed against me,” he explained.
