That's what happened to Mr Reddy, a resident of Manikonda. He filed a complaint against a local councillor with the Ranga Reddy District Collector. He even shared a copy with the Manikonda Municipal Office. Here's where things get murky.
The councillor, using the RTI Act, requested a copy of the complaint – a document addressed to the Collector, not the municipality. Shockingly, the Manikonda Municipal Office not only processed the request but delivered it within 20 days, a stark contrast to resident Venkat Mamilla's experience of ignored RTI applications and delayed appeals.
Even worse, the councillor shared the entire complaint on Twitter, exposing Mr Reddy's personal details, address, and even Aadhaar number! While the details were later removed, the damage was done.
This raises serious concerns:
- Is a Complaint a Public Document? Experts say a complaint letter addressed to a higher authority is not something the RTI Act applies to.
- Privacy Breach: Sharing a complaint with the very person it targets is a blatant violation of Mr Reddy's privacy.
- RTI Misuse: This incident, coupled with reports of a group of 18 people using RTI to extort money from builders, raises questions about the misuse of the Act.
To the Attention Of:
- Sri K. Shashanka, IAS, Ranga Reddy District Collector
- Smt Pratima Singh, IAS, Additional Collector (Local Bodies)
- Sri M. Dana Kishore, IAS, Principal Secretary to Government, MA & UD Department
- Smt. A. Santhi Kumari, IAS, Telangana Chief Secretary
We urge the relevant authorities to take the required action to curb the misuse of the RTI Act and ensure it doesn't hinder information access for genuine applications.
