To

The Chief Justice

Allahabad High Court

2 September 2021

Sub: Request to save the Right to Information Act, 2005 from the careless approach of
the executives.

Respected Sir,
I am a final year law student from National Law University, Lucknow writing this letter to
raise a grave concern regarding the plight of Right to Information Act, 2005. RTI Act is a
great piece of legislation which complements the whole democratic setup by making the
authorities accountable for the questions raised by general public. But even the greatest of
legislations are slowed down, miscarried or put to grave by the system (or say executive) for
no optimum reason.
Right to Information is one of such legislation where the executive has miserably failed to
smoothen the process rather making it tyrannical day by day with the due course of time.
I had filed an offline RTI regarding the sewage system almost an year ago i.e. Aug 2020 of
which I have not received any reply yet. (ANNEXURE-1)
Thereafter, relying upon a High Court ruling, I wrote to the State Information Commission
but I could not hear from them too. I also wrote to Central Information Commission but they
directed to approach SIC as my RTI lies in his subject matter. (ANNEXURE-2)
After a year i.e. in June 2021, I reposed my faith in the system of RTI again and filed two
online RTIs. One of them being in the same department (Jal Nigam) as the previous RTI, the
other one was related to education sector (Directorate of Basic Education). At first, just
before the deadline, both the RTIs were transferred one after another to different departments.
I waited for one more month to furnish the requisite information but to my astonishment, I
did not even receive a reply from any of them. Thereafter, I have filed first appeals for both
but I have gathered enough experience of RTIs not being answered and being taken for
granted that I do not expect the reply of an RTI appeal. One of the appeals has been
transferred again by the UP Jal Nigam. (ANNEXURE-3,4)
When the public do not get what it is ought to get in a dignified and hassle-free manner,
courts are seen as the temples of unbiased justice who works tirelessly for the smooth
functioning of the system to affect the large masses and push the state a step ahead towards a
welfare state.
Therefore, I am writing this letter carrying the bundle of hope in my heart that the court will
take cognizance (or allow it as a PIL) on this plight of a genuinely genius Act (RTI) which
lies in the very core of democracy. The courts smoothening the functioning of RTIs would
encourage the general people to ask questions to their state authorities and hopefully we will
get more aware citizens and much more accountable executives. Whole of India will be
grateful to you.

Thank you

Yours Sincerely
Parth Bhardwaj
National Law University, Lucknow
Mob. 7906337384

Copy to:-

1. State Information Commission, Uttar Pradesh

7/7A, RTI Bhawan, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar
Lucknow - 226010

2. Jal Nigam, Uttar Pradesh

6, Rana Pratap Marg, Hazratganj, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh – 226001

3. Karyalaya Adhishasi Abhiyanta, Nirman Khand U. P. Jal Nigam

Humayunpur Rd, Opposite CIC Building, Suhag Nagar, Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh
283203

4. Nagar Nigam, Firozabad, UP

Agra Gate, Firozabad – 283203

5. Department of Basic Education, Uttar Pradesh

Vidhya Bhawan, Nishat Ganj, Lucknow – 226007