RTI applicant attacked for exposing graft in MGNREGA

JAIPUR: An RTI applicant in Bikaner, who tried to expose corruption in MGNREGA, was attacked and seriously injured following which he is admitted to the ICU of a private hospital in Jaipur.

Former sarpanch of Somalsar, Dhudaram, had sought information relating to work done under MGNREGA in Nokha in Bikaner through RTI. When he did not get the desired information, he filed an appeal before the state information commission. Even though the commission directed the authorities to provide the information, the applicant never got it.

Meanwhile, Dhudaram managed to get some information from the MGNREGA website. On the basis of it, the relatives of Dhudaram filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau against 10 accused.

On February 2, Dhudaram was attacked and he was brought to a private hospital in Jaipur. Dr BR Bagaria, who is providing treatment said: "The patient is improving but he is still serious as he is suffering from renal failure due to various injuries on his body."

Dhudaram's son Bhanwar Lal said: "One Bhagwan Ram along with many armed persons attacked my father. Ram is son of Uddi Devi, who is a sarpanch of the village."

He said that an FIR has also been lodged with Nokha police station under Section 307 of IPC against the attackers.

Bhanwar Lal said that roads were constructed at a cost of Rs12 crore in 2010 in Nokha. But in 2011, a work was sanctioned under MGNREGA for clearing sand from the roads which were constructed in 2010. But actually no such work was done and around Rs 4 crore was paid for the work which was mentioned in the papers only.

He said that even the government engineer of the area wrote to collector that no such work was done and the people of the area also gave it in writing on affidavits that no such work was done.

Nikhil Dey, a social activist said: "I think that this is a serious and brazen case. Not only it was an attack on RTI user but also it shows that while people are trying to protect schemes like MGNREGA, authorities are turning a blind eye on corruption. But most disturbing is the fact that the corrupt feels that by beating up or by using violence truth can be suppressed."

He said that they met senior government officials on Monday and demanded special audit should be done of the road works done in Nokha.