AAP files 660 RTI applications

LUCKNOW: The Aam Aadmi Party has taken the RTI route to expose rampant corruption in the Lucknow Municipal Corporation. On Tuesday, AAP filed a whopping 330 RTI applications with the public information officer (PIO) of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation. AAP leaders Mohammad Arif, Kamlendra Singh Trinetra and Swadesh Srivastava personally handed over the 330 RTI applications to the PIO of LMC.

All the RTIs were filed in the name of the district coordinator of AAP, Gaurav Maheshwari and each RTI had 15 questions. These RTI applications are in addition to the 330 RTIs filed by AAP with LMC on August 17, this year.

Through these 660 RTIs, AAP has sought details of the money spent by the civic body on development projects in all 110 wards of Lucknow. AAP has also sought details of the money spent by LMC on projects related to improving the drainage system in all the city wards. All the information sought by the AAP relates to the financial year 2015-16.

Not stopping here, the party has plans to file 15,000 RTIs with the civic body, seeking details of money received by it from the state finance commission, under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and the money spent under other heads, from financial year 2005-06 to FY 2014- 15.

“The public information officer of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation was not willing to accept the RTI applications. It was after we took up the issue with the municipal commissioner that the PIO accepted the RTI applications,” said Mahendra Pratap Singh, the district media in-charge of AAP.

“It was after all our efforts to seek action against corrupt officials of the civic body failed that we decided to file RTI applications,” added Singh.

With an eye on civic polls scheduled in Uttar Pradesh next year, AAP has launched an intensive campaign in all the 110 wards of the city, aimed at highlighting corruption in LMC.

The party has also kick-started ‘padyatras’ in all the wards. Reportedly, during these padyatras, AAP has been getting overwhelming response from locals.

AAP also took the RTI route in New Delhi to expose the corruption in the then Delhi government, led by former CM Sheila Dikshit.

It was after these exposures that AAP won the Delhi assembly elections with an overwhelming majority.