Bhikhabhai Gohil, sarpanch of Gohil ni Khan village in Junagadh's Kodinar district, had sought various details about a 33KV single power line laid by Gujarat Ambuja Cement from Ambujanagar to Mul Dwarka. He alleged that the transmission line was laid without requisite permission.
However, the public information officer wrote to him on July 20 stating: "According to section 3 of RTI Act, 2005, only an Indian citizen has the right to get information. Due to his post (as sarpanch of Gokhan gram panchayat), he does not qualify to get the information."
"This is ridiculous. It also exposes how the government uses different tactics to deny information. What is more shocking is that GPCB wrote to the company seeking its permission to give the information to me under RTI, which is in their official custody," Gohil said.
Gohil, 34, has been fighting against illegal mining in his village using RTI for the last few years and exposed the nexus between government officials and powerful business lobbies in Kodinar.
RTI activist Pankti Jog said, "There is no such section in the RTI Act which asks applicants their proof of citizenship. If PIO suspects the nationality, he or she can verify the same by asking the applicant to provide photocopy of voter ID card or ration card."
Gohil has filed an appeal to the appellate authority in GPCB to get information.
In another case, Sutrapada-based RTI activist Ramsinh Mori, filed an RTI application with GPCB seeking information regarding environmental audits, inspection reports to Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd (Sutrapada) under RTI Act-2005.
GPCB replied to Mori that information cannot be given to him because he has signed the application as press representative and therefore it does not fall in the category of 'citizen of India'.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/lpcjmar
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