Generally, when you go to a Govt. office to get some work done, the situation is quite pathetic. The Govt. employees will either not listen to you or they will give you a vague response or they will raise some “irrelevant” objection.

This is generally done because the employees are “fishing” for a bribe! They are hoping that you will get frustrated and give them a bribe to “move things faster!” Do not give the bribe to them. Use the RTI Act and get your work done. Here we will show you how you can do this!

Just as an example, let us assume that you applied for a new water connection about a year back, but still nothing has happened about it. What you should do is, write an application according to the rules of your state and send it to the PIO of the Govt. department you are dealing with.

The application you write can be on these lines:

I had applied for a new water connection about a year back, but have not received the same. Copy of the receipt of the same is enclosed for your reference. Please provide the following information with respect to the same:

· Please provide the daily progress report made on my application.

· Please give the names and designations of the officials with whom my application was lying during this period. Please intimate the periods when it was lying with which officer and what was the action taken by that official during that period.

· Please give the proof of receipt and dispatch of my application in the office of each of these officials.

· According to your rules, in how many days should a new water connection be granted. Please provide a copy of these rules.

· The above officials have not adhered to the time limit mentioned in these rules. Are these officials guilty of violating these rules and hence guilty of misconduct under their conduct rules. Please give a copy of their conduct rule, which they have violated by violating the above mentioned rule.

· These officials have caused serious mental injury to me by making me run around all this while. Are these officials guilty of causing mental harassment to the public?

· What action can be taken against these officials for violating all the above rules and the conduct rules? By when this action would be taken?

· By when would I be granted my water connection?

Normally, it becomes difficult for the officials to reply to these questions. If they do reply to all the above questions, this will lead to them taking action against the officers who have not been performing their duties. The general experience is that the moment you file such an application, the work is done.

Get your Govt. grievances sloved!

If you have a grievance or problem against any Govt. detpartment, you can use the department’s “Grievance Redressal Machinery” to voice your problem so that it may be solved.

Unfortunately, the officers in charge do little about the grievances that they receive. You can change this. Now, you can keep a check on the working of the “grievance redressal machinery” of any department.

Use RTI and ask for the following details:

Please give a list of all the grievances received by all the officers in your department during the period ________ to _______. The list should contain the following details:
1. Name and address of the complainant
2. The circle/district etc to which it pertains
3. Brief description of the grievance
4. Date of receipt of grievance
5. Date of redressal of grievance
6. Nature of redressal
7. If not redressed, reasons for the same
8. As per law, in how many days such a grievance should be redressed
9. Name of the official responsible for the delay
10. Action proposed to be taken against this official for delay
11. Is grievance against an official? If yes, name of the person
12. What action has been taken against that employee?
13. If any enquiry carried out, results of the same
14. If no enquiry carried out, why?

Please give copies of all the complaints and enquiry reports made against the officials alleged to be guilty.

Once investigation into these matters begin, the Govt. department will have to start correcting itself.