In Indore, Madhya Pradesh, a man named Dharmendra Shukla filed a Right to Information Act plea related to the COVID-19 pandemic. He sought details about tenders, bill payments, and procurement of medicines and equipment during the pandemic period from the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO). However, his plea was not answered within the stipulated one month period.
As a result, Shukla approached the first appellate officer, Dr. Sharad Gupta, who accepted the plea and directed that the information be provided to him free of cost. Due to the delay, Shukla did not have to pay the usual Rs 2 per page for the 40,000 pages he received in response to his RTI request.
Shukla’s Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) was completely filled with the massive pile of documents he received. He mentioned that only the driver’s seat was left vacant, such was the volume of information he received.
When questioned, Dr. Sharad Gupta, the appellate officer and Regional Joint Director of the state health department, confirmed that he had ordered the information to be provided without any charges. He also directed the CMHO to take appropriate action against the personnel responsible for the delay, which resulted in a loss of Rs 80,000 from the state exchequer.
This incident highlights the importance of transparency and accountability during times of crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic, and the role that citizens can play in seeking information to ensure proper governance.
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