Binaiks is right. 'Why' questions aren't entertained. I got these questions from the RTI India forum.
I understand that asking questions wont get the road fixed. But the risk of publicity of that information might.
So here's the format.
To: The SPIO PWD/Corporation/ NHAI
(I'm not really sure of the specific address to send it to. Periyapatna Taluk comes under Mysore district.... so I'm going to try there first)
From: XXX XXXX, XXXX. XXXX, XXXX Tel: XXXXX Dated: XXXXXX
Dear Sir,
RE: Application for Information under RTI Act 2005
I, XXXX , a citizen of India, request you to kindly provide me the following information under the
Right to Information Act, 2005:
- Please inform me the Name, Designation , Address, Office Telephone number of the Officer of the XXX Municipal Corporation/Council/PWD, who is responsible for the maintenance of Roads located in the area called XXXXXX in the locality XXXXXXX of XXX town/city.
- How often and with what frequency is the above mentioned officer supposed to carry out in-situ inspection of the roads and check their condition ?
- a) When was the last date and time when the officer carried out a inspection of the roads located in XXXXX area ?
b) Please provide me with a certified copy of the inspection report made by the officer after the inspection carried out by him during the last visit to XXXXXX area.
c) Please provide me with a certified copy of the Action Taken Report based on the inspection report made by the officer after inspecting the roads in XXXXX area.
- Please give a list of all the works related to improvement of roads and streets carried out in this area during the period from………….to……………
5. How many times have repairs (both minor and major) been carried out on each road and street in this area?
For each repair work, the list should contain :
a. the length of the street or the road repaired and identify the starting and the ending point by house
numbers or other methods (like a small hand drawn sketch)
b. exact location of spots where the work was carried out
c. the name of the work
d. work order no.
e. length of repair
f. average width of repair
g. method of repair
h. what was the composition of repair
i. actual date of start
j. actual date of completion
k. amount paid or payable
l. status of work
m. name of the contractor
n. mode of improvement of that road or street
6. If the work was done departmentally, please also provide the following information:
a. Copy of relevant portion of stock register
b. Copy of relevant portion of labour register
7. If the work was done through a contractor, please also provide the following information:
a. Copy of measurement book (both abstract entries & record entries)
b. Copy of sketch
c. Copy of details of estimates
d. Names of the Assistant Engineer and the Executive Engineer who inspected each of these works and
passed payments.
e. Which portions of these works were inspected by them?
f. If there was any guarantee clause in the contract, copy of that portion of the contract which mentions this guarantee clause and the conditions in which this clause can be invoked.
g. Has the guarantee clause been invoked till now? If no, why in spite of the fact that the roads are in such bad condition.
8. After you have prepared the above information, I would like to inspect your measurement books and work order registers related to these works to ensure that you have given complete information.
Please let me know a date and time and the venue where I can come for inspection.
(No kidding!)
9. The roads are totally broken these days. Please give specific reasons for the bad condition of each of these roads separately.
Name of the Road Starting and Ending point Reason for poor condition
10. If any of the roads is broken due to water stagnation on the road, please intimate whether it is due to wrong design , wrong execution, poor quality material or due to clogged drains or any other reason ?
11. If it is due to wrong design, wrong execution, poor quality materials, how was the payment passed?
12. What action will be taken against the engineer who inspected the road and let it pass like this?
13. If it is due to clogged drain, please provide the following information from the concerned department
which dealt with it:
a. When were these drains cleaned during the stated period?
b. Give copy of the measurement book of the cleaning carried out?
c. Provide the names of the officials who inspected and passed the payments.
d. This means that these officials did not do their job properly. Their inaction has caused so much loss to the exchequer and so much inconvenience to the public. They are also guilty of criminal misconduct under section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of corruption Act. By when will action be taken against them and what action will you take?
14. The fact that these roads have broken shows that very bad material has been used in the roads.
a. What enquiries will be made to ascertain the quality of the roads?
b. How will you fix responsibilities?
c. By when the enquiries will be completed?
15. The payments seem to have been done fraudulently and the inspection carried out by the engineers was faulty. What enquiries will be instituted against the engineers who passed the payments and did faulty inspection?
16. I want to take sample of material of each of these roads under section 2(j)(iii) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. The sample should be collected from the place of my choice. It should be collected in my presence and should be sealed and certified. Please intimate me the date, time and venue where I should come to collect the samples.
17. I would also like to take digital pictures of the roads mentioned above, when I am inspecting the roads along with your staff and engineers. Kindly inform your Engineers and Staff accordingly.
18. How many written or verbal complaints has the XXX Municipal Council/Corporation received regarding the poor conditions of Roads in the XXXX Area ?
Please give me the following information about each of the complaints:
- Date of complaint
- Daily progress of the complaint received
- Action taken on the complaint received
- Date of reply given to the complainant and a gist of the reply
19.By what date can the citizens living in XXXXXX area expect the roads to be restored to their original conditions and be made fit for normal driving ?
- If the roads are not restored to their original conditions by the date indicated in Item 19 above, what action will be taken AND what penalties will be levied by Council/Corporation against the officers/ contractors/ agencies which do not restore the road on time ?
I am enclosing herewith a B/C or D/D number…..issued by…….bank, dated……….for Rs………towards application Fees for this RTI Application.
I am willing to pay any further charges as decided by the PIO and communicated to me with a reasoned written order, giving detailed calculations for arriving at the additional charges so requested by the PIO.
Thanking You,
(XXXXXXXXX)
It will take them a few days to read this... and then a few more days to recover.
(
Now you know why RTI activists are ''eliminated''!)
What I'm still looking for is an appropriate address. I know that even if such a request is sent to the wrong office, the information officer there is responsible to send it to the real 'culprit'.