CRF alleges officials refused RTI plea, seeks immediate intervention

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Urban Development Department has landed in controversy after the Citizen Rights Foundation (CRF) alleged that officials refused to accept an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, prompting complaints to the state government and criticism from activists.

According to CRF, its representatives visited the office of the Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department, on July 31 to submit an RTI application seeking details of grants released to the department and expenditure on development works. The organisation alleged that officials read the application but returned it without formally accepting it.

CRF President K.A. Paul termed the alleged refusal a violation of the RTI Act and submitted complaints to Urban Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and the Additional Chief Secretary, seeking immediate acceptance of the application and action against the officials concerned.

The organisation claimed that the application complied with all provisions of the RTI Act and argued that the Public Information Officer (PIO) is required to process the application in accordance with law. Under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act, if an application relates to another public authority, it must be transferred to the appropriate authority. If it does not meet the legal requirements, the PIO may reject it through the prescribed procedure.

The issue comes amid public discussions over the utilisation of funds by the Urban Development Department. CRF has sought information on grants released and the execution of works under those grants through the RTI application.

The alleged incident has drawn criticism from some social activists, who said the RTI Act was enacted to promote transparency and accountability in governance. They urged the state government to ensure that all public authorities strictly follow the provisions of the Act while handling RTI applications.

Social activists have strongly criticised the alleged refusal by officials of the Karnataka government’s Urban Development Department to accept RTI applications. They questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has been vocal on the NEET issue and frequently projects the Congress as an anti-corruption party while holding up the Constitution during his public campaigns. The activists asked whether he would also take note of what they described as the illegal actions of Karnataka government officials and respond to the issue.

The Urban Development Department had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.