Madhya Pradesh Journalist Files RTI, Gets 360 Answers to Single Question

Bhopal: A social worker and a journalist from Madhya Pradesh has received 360 responses to a single question he asked in his RTI application addressing the Postal Department seeking information about the post office, its premises and its housing complex.

Jitendra Surana had filed an online RTI application seeking information about the market value and book value of immovable properties of the postal department. "The department asked the Chief Postmaster and all the Postmasters General," Surana said.

"The responsibility to answer the RTI was given to the Post Superintendent despite the higher officials. They were instructed to provide the information of their respective offices directly to the applicant. So many responses started flooding in after they started sending the information one by one that it has become troublesome for me," he said.

Surana said that for the last few days he is getting more than 10 posts everyday. He filed the RTI application online on August 7, 2019 and the responses are being sent to him through post since August 13, 2019. The maximum number of responses he received were 22 in a day whereas five were the minimum. Till date he has received 360 responses and they are still coming in.

Surana raised questions about the way his RTI application is being answered. He said that when he has filed the application online then why is he getting responses, most of which are not satisfactory, through post. Till now, only 25-30 district and divisional post offices have given the information about their immovable properties. A divisional post office in South has provided him the book value of the year 1870.

Most of the departments apparently have not been able to understand the motive of the RTI. The postal department is the most recent example of this. They should have answered the application online but they are sending it through post. The head of the department should compile the data and provide comprehensive information but he gave the responsibility to the Post Superintendent, said Surana.