Right to Information (RTI) activists met Governor Satya Pal Malik today to complain about the obstacles they say they face when trying to uncover information regarding government schemes and their implementation.
The delegation comprised Doria Shabong from Umlyngka, Syllie-U-Lar Umroi headman Kronding Nongbsap and Overwell Lyngdoh of Sohiong.
The trio said that when they try to seek information from government officials, the latter often do not cooperate, with RTI activists claiming that they faced intimidation and threats at times while others face harassment from traditional bodies.
“Every time we file a RTI we are always worried about the government. We are trying to work for the betterment of society but the government does not support us,” Nongbsap said. He has recently been in the news for raising fears publicly about the safety of the Dwar Ksuid bridge in Ri-Bhoi as well as allegedly overloaded trucks still using the route even when closed.
He said that there are allegations of corruption in the national rural employment guarantee scheme (MGNREGS), as was raised by Shabong in Umlyngka, and when such truths come out through RTIs the government does not take any action at all.
“This makes us the RTI activists lose hope. We are doing this for the poor and the downtrodden. We file RTI not to malign anyone,” Nongbsap said.
Instead, far from recognizing the work of the concerned citizens, government officials are more inclined to accuse the RTI activists of trying to be obstacles to development.
One such example was Lyngdoh, who had filed an RTI regarding the construction of a road in Kyndong Wahlang village for which, he said, he was ostracised.
