RTI activism in Gurgaon is helping the City in a big way. It is heartening to see this activism benefitting the economically weaker sections. In a positive move, the State Information Commission (SIC) has directed the Health department to set up a counter at the Civil Hospital, which can refer BPL and EWS patients to private hospitals like Medanta and Artemis, which are bound (as per their Licence Agreements with the State) to offer free medicare and health services to these categories of citizens. Harinder Dhingra, RTI activist who fought a long battle in the Information Commission to ensure that these hospitals are brought under the ambit of the RTI Act, and also provide free health care to the poor, says that the poor patients can now register at the counter by showing their BPL cards (or file a self-attested affidavit claiming that their income is less than Rs. 5,000 per month). Further, each of these private hospitals now has to post the following information every 15 days on the HUDA website: the number of patients treated, medicines distributed and cost incurred on each patient.
Another RTI filed by Dhingra is likely to ensure the release of at least 500 undertrials that have served half of the prison term prescribed as per the section(s) of the CrPC under which they have been charged. All it would need is a self-signed surety bond by the undertrial. The issue of undertrials is important because a large number of them belong to the very poor and weak sections of society, who are most exploited in the jails. As per the directions of the State Information Commission (SIC), details of all the undertrials in State prisons would have to be posted online on the Jail department website. The RTI was filed when Dhingra was apprised by some undertrials about their poor conditions in the jails and how they were being mistreated and abused. "When I first filed the RTI, the authorities refused to share any information, stating that I was a third party," he says. Thereafter Dhingra filed an RTI with the State Information Commission, citing that it was a matter of life and liberty of the undertrials - as a result of which the Prison authorities were forced to respond, and put their case. After hearing both the sides, directions were issued that the Jail authorities would have to post the details of undertrials. Further, those who are eligible to be released under Section 436A would be released after they file an affidavit in the court. Dhingra plans to file applications with District Judges across the 19 districts of the State, asking them to take cognizance of this matter during their monthly visits to the Jails, and ensuring that undertrials are released as per the law.
These ‘fights for rights’ with State authorities as well as vested interests that benefit from the corruption in the system, have however started to earn enemies for the RTI activist. Recently, the State Information Commission had to direct the State to provide security to Dhingra, after he was threatened by some people. Dhingra says that he is not going to get cowed down by threats, and would continue to unearth wrongdoings, corruption and scams within the State apparatus.
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