Post News Network
Kanas: A headmistress of an upper primary school at Haldiapada village allegedly flouted the rules of the Right to Information (RTI) Act by denying information a ward member had sought nine months ago.
As per the guidelines of the RTI Act, it is mandatory for public institutions to provide information to an applicant within 30 days of an application being filed under the law.
However, the applicant, Pabitra Mohan Rumansingh, a ward member of Haldiapada, alleged that the headmistress, Surekha Dei, denied information to him fearing that her wrongdoings would be exposed. Rumansingh had sought information about the allocation of funds to the school for the midday meal (MDM) programme and its expenditure between 2005 and 2015. He had filed his questions under the RTI Act at the office of the circle education officer January 28.
After the BEO intervened, the headmistress provided a handwritten reply regarding the government’s allocation for the MDM programme and its expenditure February 14. Dissatisfied with the information, Rumansingh again approached the BEO’s office February 19 seeking detailed information. The BEO then sent a directive to the headmistress asking her to provide the details sought by the applicant, sources said.
“I had paid `600 to the headmistress towards the expenses of the information I had sought. However, nine months have elapsed, but I am yet to get the information,” alleged Rumansingh.
When asked, the headmistress said, “I had provided handwritten information to Rumansingh, but he sought the details again.”