Farmers RTI query has Vadodara collectorate officials sweating

A simple query under Right to Information Act made by a farmer over land acquisition has sent the district collectorate officials in a huddle,for the answer runs into 34,472 pages.

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A simple query under Right to Information (RTI) Act made by a farmer over land acquisition has sent the district collectorate officials in a huddle,for the answer runs into 34,472 pages.

But the applicant,Dilip Bhatt,a farmer from Amaliyara village and a Congress member of the district panchayat,is undaunted despite being told by collectorate officials that the cost to be borne by him could run into thousands of rupees.

Bhatt wants the entire list of people whose land was acquired by the government for the construction of road as part of Dedicated Freight Corridor project.

I was contacted by the officials from the district collectorate and they asked me if I would like to pay the charges running into thousands of rupees for the reply, said Bhatt,who will have to shell out Rs 68,640 for the reply.

Bhatt had filed the RTI application to find out about the discrepancies in the land acquisition and the amount paid to the farmers as compensation.

Farmers lost their land for compensation that was far less than the actual cost of their property. The only people who earned were the agents. This can be proved only when we have documentary evidence and that is why I decided to file an RTI, Bhatt said.

They told me I would have to pay Rs 2 for each photocopy and the total amount would be very high. But I agreed, Bhatt said.

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