Shivpuri: An RTI activist from Bairad in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district on Friday created a buzz among locals after he used a bullock cart, accompanied by a troupe of drummers, to transport about 8,500 pages of information received in response to a query that initially remained unanswered.
Makhan Dhakad, a resident of Bairad village, said he had issued an RTI application seeking responses to alleged irregularities in the implementation of policies by the Bairad Nagar Panchayat.
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"The process has taken long and has left me financially exhausted," he said when asked about the incident. "The policies of both Central and state governments are there only on paper. In reality, there is no such scheme," Dhakad observed, taking into account government policies such as the PMAY housing scheme and Sambal 2.0, which aims to provide electricity to all households in Madhya Pradesh.
The activist said it took him and four others more than two hours to count 12,000 pages, and cost him Rs 25,000 after an initial plea did not elicit any response. "I subsequently reached Bhopal and other places", he stated, adding that at Bhopal, the Information Commissioner's office said he should be given relevant information.
