RTI Project Updates - 10

Awareness sessions

Thiruppachetti

This week the first awareness session in village was held in Thiruppachetti village in Sivagangai district (The village is about 25 kms from Madurai city). Raj Sundar who was part of TN RTI campaign in 2006, came with me to conduct the awareness session. This was organised by Ms.Sevi a ward member in the village panchayat. She is the sister of a colleague, Jyoti, in AID India. The moment Ms.Selvi was told that I can come and conduct the session, she was very enthusiastic. She said she can get together ladies from different SHGs. When I talked to her over phone, I asked her how many people would turn up for the session, and she said around 50 people could come. At that moment, I thought this was slightly over optimistic. Obviously, the memories of my first awareness session were fresh in my memory :-). But Raj Sundar and I went to the village on 5th. We arrived 5th morning. The venue was the village SHG building, where usually SHG members meet. We reached the place and saw that there were about 10 members and that more were coming. We waited for about half an hour. People slowly came in. To my surprise, at about 11.30, we had about 40 women. When the session started some more people walked in, and there were close to 50 people for the session. It was heartening to see the group. They seemed pretty interested. Some ladies told us, that a considerable number of women had been away on some work, else there could have been more members. I realised that I was wrong when I thought Ms.Selvi was being over optimistic over the phone. She more than kept her word.

So I started off enthusiastically. Raj Sundar and I had decided before hand that I would handle the history of the act, importance of information and how it can solve problems. Then he would discuss the procedure of getting information under RTI act. I started off with a kadi joke (PJ) just to enliven the proceedings. Then I told them a story. The story of how some villages in Rajasthan had demanded copies of muster rolls for a job scheme. How information becomes power. How RTI brings power to the people. A few instances where RTI has been successful were discussed. I told them what all kinds of information they could possible get, and what all they could do with the information acquired. The group was pretty responsive. The ladies were very vocal and it made the session all the more interesting. Rajsundar then came and explained the procedure of getting information. It was 1.30 when we finished. We distributed pamphlets. Then we told them that those interested in filing applications can do it and we will help them. Ms.Selvi and another lady wanted to get the information on a list of government lands lying unused (poramboke lands). Their idea was that, a hospital was due to them but was kept in abeyance since land could not be found which met the requirements for a hospital. There were other such needs to which needed land. So they decided to file an RTI application to get that info. There were two other appplications that we filed.

After the session was over, we had lunch at Ms.Selvi's house and then left for Madurai to board a train from there. Looking back at the session, it was almost the perfect session. 50 people arrived. They were all pretty interested. The session went off without any goofups from my side. Wish every session were like this.

SRM college
Nity and Rupesh (from CAD), were invited to talk about RTI at SRM college. Rupesh asked me if I could also join them. So we went there. This was on 6th Feb. There were about 200 students there. Nity gave a history of the act and why it was important. Then I gave an overview of important sections like, definition of information, barred info, voluntary disclosure requirements etc. Then Rupesh explained the procedure of filing an RTI applicaiton. Then we ended with a Q&A session.

Commission

This week after about 40 days, we started work on analysing their decisions. Raj Sundar and I went to their office on Thursday. We were told that Mr.Dhandapani was on leave, and that the files containing the decisions were in a locked bureau, and that only he had the keys. So we returned. Somehow, the whole comission (which has only a staff of about 10 -12 people) knew that we were going to analyse the decisions. We went back on friday. Then we were given the decisions starting October 25th. On Friday afternoon, we started at about 3.00 and went on till 5.30 and we were able to look at about 30 decisions.

Some immediate problems were, that in a few decisions, the actual information sought is not known. The decisions seemed to be ok so far, in that for most cases where there was a fault with the PA, a Show cause notice asking why penalty should not be imposed was issued. But there is no info in the decisions file whether penalty has been indeed imposed or not. For this the individual case files have to be explored. This week, I intend to focus on this. Previously I had the idea that, once I have all the decisions as soft copies (or as hard copies which could be later scanned), I can upload it to the internet and get it analysed by a lot of volunteers. But now since I have to personally sit in their office and analyse their decisions, I am considering whether I should prepare a report based on just their last 3 months' decisions and going forward analyse all their decisions as and when they are given.

When I met the commissioner before starting the analysing work, he asked me if I had seen an enquiry. When I said no, he suggested that I have a look at one such session, which is scheduled on 13th. That will give me a better understanding of how enquiries are held.

RTI Project updates - 9

RTI Awareness

An awareness session happened on Monday (28-Jan-2008) at Kallukkuttai a slum near TIDEL Park. This was organised by AIDWA. About 30 people turned up for the session. I explained about the act for some time. After that we discussed problems they had. Many people told us about the common issues that they all faced. One of them was that there was not drinking water supply for them. They also talked about other basic amenities that they lack. There were also the usual problems of people not getting their ration cards on time. Unlike the previous awareness session, here people were more attentive and hence they could understand what I was talking about. Here are some snaps.

We filed two RTI applications here. One to their panchayat regarding their water problem and the other one to slum clearance board asking which parts of the slum come under the board's purview. For individual applications, I gave them a sample application and asked them to file applications themselves. And to contact us over the helpline for any help. I did this since the group seemed to be a reasonably active group who take initiatives.

Working with the Commission

At last, the deadlock with the commission broke. I met Mr.Dhandapani again on Friday (Feb 1st) and told him that I had come with a camera and wanted copies of the decisions. That is how began the conversation. I did not do it the usual way I do by asking when I will be allowed to take a copy of the decisions. Probably he sensed my irritation and also the determination and asked me to meet the chief commissioner. I met the commissioner and told him that it has been a month since he gave me permission, but that Mr.Dhandapani was not letting me access them. The commissioner immediately called Mr.Dhandapani and asked him why I was not allowed to access the decisions. He as usual said that there were still come corrections that need to be done. There have been cases where they have sent the decision to the wrong applicant, who has responded saying there was a mistake. He said that since there were such problems, if such copies go to the media then it would be an embarrassment. They also said that the media does not highlight good work as much as it highlights mistakes. Then I asked if I would at least be allowed to look at the decisions sitting in their office to which the commissioner agreed. To this Mr.Dhandapani also agreed. They told me that I can look at all their decisions in their office. If there are decisions of which I want a copy, they said they will correct them if there are any mistakes then and there and give them to me immediately. I said I was ok with such an arrangement, and so we all came to a compromise. So an analysis of their decisions will start next week


RTI Helpline

Now-a-days there are 1 or 2 calls daily on the helpline and it is heartening. This week I talked to ananda vikatan (a widely read weekly) and requested them to put in a couple of lines about the helpline. Let us see whether they do it.

Accountability in GH - 4 (Enquiry at the Gosha hospital)

We had previously filed a corruption complaint in GOSHA hospital and it came for enquiry yesterday(30th Jan). So Prabha, Bharathi (the person who had to pay bribes, while her cousin was admitted for delivery) and I went to the GOSHA hospital just on time. We were made to sit for about half an hour. Then the director came out and started gathering all the staff. We thought it was for the enquiry. Only later we realised that she was collecting all the staff to remembering Gandhi (since it was his death anniversary) by observing one minute's silence, followed by a resolution, to uphold principles, be a good citizen etc etc. The irony for us need hardly be mentioned.

Then we waited for a little more time. We were called into the RMO's office. When we filed our complaint, we had complained about watchmen, female attenders and sweepers. We had also given the date and the rough time when Bharathi had to pay money. All the female attenders who were on the duty at the time we had mentioned were called one by one inside and we were asked to identify the cuplrits. Bharathi said no to the first person. Then a second lady walked in. Bharathi said that this lady was among the group which had demanded money, though she was not the one who verbally asked for it. The RMO also told us that he was not the one who was supposed to conduct the enquiry but it was somebody else, and on that day morning, this RMO was handed over the job of conducting the enquiry. He told us that this was the reason, why he had not got everybody ready. He called up another person and ordered him to get all the watchmen to our room. Then the RMO just called all the ladies inside. Bharathi identified one more lady. She was the one who demanded money saying "Kudu ma, mutha kuzhanthai thaane, athuvum aan kozhanthai, kudu. 300 ruba kudu" (Give! This is the first child right and that too a male child. Give 300 rupees). They had refused to let the mother's mother in law in unless 300 rupees was given. So we identified this lady. The RMO was also very impatient. He kept telling Bharathi that she should identify people clearly and that she should tell events clearly. People who are not confident when they complain will feel threatened when subjected to the way the RMO talked. But by and large, he was ok. He clearly saw that money was taken and was helping us identify people. After we identified this lady, she tried to get away by saying things like "Look at my face and tell me. Did I ask you for money??" and all that. But the RMO was very strict with her asking her not to do such things. The nurse superintendent who was also there, tried to find holes in our evidence saying things like "how could you know?" and also things like since the patient's mother-in-law was the attender, she should come for the enquiry.

The RMO also asked us why we waited for so long to file a complaint (we filed it one month after the delivery) and also why Bharathi had not called up the number that was put up on boards in many places in the hospital as the one to be contacted if anybody asks for a bribe). We tried to explain to him that no patient (or their attenders) would call up and complain while the patient is still in the hospital. I also told him, that I had written to the Vigilance (DVAC) about it and only later complained to the hospital.

At the end of the enquiry we could still not identify the lady who took the 300 from Bharathi saying that only then they will be allowed to see the baby. Neither could we get a chance to identify the watchmen or the sweepers. But the RMO decided that we end the enquiry for that day and continue it on some other day, when they will be better prepared for the enquiry. Then we met the director and then came away. The second part might happen sometime next week.

But if anybody is wondering why file a complaint at all, there are two reasons. One, is just to do the right thing. The other is to know the system and also somehow get in touch with the hospital authorities and try finding a solution to the problem.

Accountability in GH - 3 (The HOD agrees)

There is some wonderful news on this front. We tried to meet the HOD of the Cardio Thoracic block twice this week. We succeeded only the second time. We told him that we were social workers and were interested in implementing a system where in patients are registered and are sent back home, after giving a registration number and a tentative date of surgery. This can be updated to them over phone or through a letter. There will also be a phone number on which patients call up and check their status. He said how this will not work since there are a lot of people coming with recommendation. He showed us how he has got letters from politicians. He specifically told me of an ex Health Minister himself giving a recommendation letter. he showed me a bunch of 10-15 such letters. He said these are the issues, and if he does not listen to them, then he will be transferred as a punishment. Then we told him, that we will accommodate even recommendations, but still bringing in a token system will be of wonderful use to the patients. We told him that we will bear all the costs of putting up such a system and later transfer the system to the hospital after 1 or 2 years. He seemed convinced and called in two of his colleagues in the same department to discuss the idea.

They were Dr. Raja venkatesh and Dr.Venkatachalam. They gave me suggestions like doing some other kind of work. Dr.Harshavardhan said we can help in writing Drug slips for out patients or help in keying in case histories. We were not at all interested. We told them clearly that we intend to work only on the waiting time issue, though once some sort of solution comes up for that, we might consider doing other things also. But Dr.Harshavardhan spoke well through out. Since we said we will take up all the costs, he said that he did not have any objection if we want to implement it. And that he will co-operate with us. He said, he also was keen on doing something different and better than other units, and he wanted this unit to be a model. The only thing he said was that we need to get permission from the dean of the college, and hence asked us to come with a letter addressed to the Dean through the HOD, CT block. We are preparing that note and some kind of time line for implementing the system. We hope the dean agrees. But that we have got the consent of the HOD is a very important step forward. And once the dean also agrees, that IS something :-)

RTI Project Updates - 8

Helplines
This week we were able to spread the word about the helplines better. There was a mention about the helplines in Radio Mirchi, thanks to an interview with Lokesh, through which there were five callers on a single day. There was a small goof up here. Radio Mirchi did not announce that people have to call between 1 and 2 in the afternoon, and hence people kept calling at all the times :-). There was box item in a magazine called "Puthiya Parvai" (Scan below). Hence there were about 10 phone calls on the helpline this week.



Awareness sessions
The awareness sessions scheduled for this week were postponed. But I have fixed two awareness sessions this week in 2 villages. One will happen on feb 5th in Sivagangai district in Thiruppachetti village. The other one is in Banavaram in Vellore district, though the date is not fixed. Yesterday I was called for a discussion by CSIM (Centre of Social Initiative and Management) who run courses on Social entrepreneurship. There will be an awareness session on Monday in Taramani (the one that was scheduled for last week).

Other material
The RTI publicity cards (in the size of visiting cards) were printed and are ready now. Will distribute them to as many people as possible. A banner has been readied for use in awareness sessions. I am also preparing a brief write up on RTI which I intend to distribute when I do awareness sessions among people who can read and write. This will contain four sides, two of which will contain key points of the act. One side will contain a flowchart which will explain the procedure of filing and appeal processes, and the final side will contain a sample application.

Commission
This week I went to the commission twice. Once Mr.Dhandapani was on leave, and the second time I went to meet him, he said he wanted 2 or 3 more days, to give me the copies since he had to discuss the thing with the commissioners. I pointed out that the commissioner has already said ok, but in reoply to that, he talked of some other issues like how some PIOs have replied to their orders and how they intend to act on it. He was not logical at all, but I decided to wait. He asked me to come back on Friday. Next week, if I dont get the copies I will talk to the commissioner and complain to him about the Registrar.

Accountability in GH - 2

We spent a considerable time in these two weeks trying to talk to officials in government hospitals.

As mentioned in "Accountability in GH" We were trying to meet the Head of the Cardio Thoracic block in GH. So we went one day, but his room was locked. When we enquired around we were told that the Chief had come, but might be on rounds, and asked us to wait. We thought, that while we were waiting, we can go to the ward where Manjula was admitted and see if we can talk to some people. There we saw a girl, Satya, who had been admitted before Manjula. We remember her and she too remembered us. On asking, we learnt that her name was Satya. Satya is a very active girl who is always ready to help others with her "experience" in the ward. She had finished here 10th standard education in April 2007. But then was admitted here in June. But she had not yet been operated upon. She had been to the operation theatre and back 12 times. (A useful thing to do when reading such numbers is to count till the given number in mind, and each time think of the activity. Say, 1, Go to the OT and come back, 2, go to the OT and come back, 3 go to the OT and so on. That will give a good idea of what the writer is trying to convey) She could not continue her 11th std education since she was admitted here in GH. Half of this academic year is over. And still her surgery has not happened. One year of her life is wasted. Thanks to a lack of any time allocation system in this hospital. Meanwhile there was a call for Prabha that she had to meet a school principal. So we could not wait any longer and hence went back without meeting him. We came back again on another day (last monday 14th Jan). But he was on leave and, that he will not be back till Saturday. Hence we could not meet him at all.

Some time back we had filed a complain with DVAC against corruption in a government hospital, which was mentioned in this post. We also wanted to look at the accountability mechanism within the hospital rather than outside. So We thought that we can directly go to the hospital and file a complaint and see what will come out of it. So Prabha, Bharathi and I went there, and met the RMO (by now, we have been to government hospitals enough times to know that every hospital has an RMO, who kind of takes care of administration in the hospital). He asked us to give the complaint with more details of date and time when the incidents happened. He asked us to meet the Director of the hospital too. She was Dr.Vasantha M Subbiah. As soon as she saw the complaint, she asked us why we waited so long to file a complaint. She also asked us why Bharathi did not complain as soon as the people there asked her for money. We pointed out that since the mother and child are still in the hospital, we would naturally be apprehensive in refusing the money that was. She didnt consider that a good reason for giving bribes and said that the staff there cant lay their hands on the mother or child and that we should not hesitate to complain.

She pointed out how she had put up boards everywhere in the hospital that giving and taking money is a crime and that if there were any such instances a complaint can be lodged at the given phone number. She also told us how several attempts at curbing corruption have not helped. She had tried, suspension, fines and she said that nothing worked, since the amount they are fined is much less than what they earn as bribes. Her opinion was that only police action will dissuade the staff from taking bribes. Once one or two employess were arrested by the police, then others might be wary. She anyway took our complaint, and said that she will call us when she is conducting the enquiry. Overall, she seemed to be a sincere person. And we had hopes of working with her in the future.

Coming back from the hospital, we were wondering about a solution to the corruption problem in hospitals. One possibility is that we can put a person in the hospital (if the director agrees) and ask that person to talk to every patient who is getting discharged, and then take the complaints. This will be a proactive way since patients on their own, at the time of discharge from the hospital, would only be relieved that the ordeal has ended and wouldnt bother to come and complain. Hence having a person at the time of discharge ask them about any problems they faced, might just push them to make complaints. But still, we are wondering what process would set the system right, so that an interference from our side is not necessary in every government hospital to keep corruption out. We are thinking on that since, once we feel that have a good idea we can talk to the director and try the idea in that hospital. Suggestions are welcome. (Leave your suggestions as a comment)

RTI Project Updates 6,7

This update is for the 6th and 7th weeks combined. I just couldnt do it last week and hence am combining it.

Awareness sessions
At our last awareness session, we had a problem of gathering people. This could have been solved in two ways.
1. Either get a street play team which will enact a play thereby attracting crowds.
2. Conduct the awareness session through an organisation which will do the part of bringing people together.

I am trying to get a team ready to do the street play. Or at least prepare a video of a street play. And then play it wherever necessary. But meanwhile I am also talking to organisations which can help us organise awareness sessions. One such group is AIDWA (All India Democratic Women's Association). Through them I am planning to conduct an RTI awareness session tomorrow at 2 PM in a slum in Taramani.

BTW, I have also been talking to other groups and individuals and another RTI awareness session MIGHT happen this saturday in a slum in Ashok Nagar.

Information Commission
I will meet Mr.Dhandapani tomorrow (since 22nd is the date he had asked me to come), and tomorrow I will definitely find a way to get the copies of the decisions. Let me see how it goes.

Helplines Awareness
The cards (which I said would be ready about a fortnight back have gone for printing today. They will definitely be ready tomorrow. I am printing about 3000 of them as the first lot. Once they are ready I will give them out for distribution. I am also looking at the media and as mentioned before, a magazine called Puthiya Parvai is already available in the stores, which has information about this helpline (I will send out a scan soon). Srininvasan, a friend here in AID India promised that he will get me in touch with other Tamil periodicals like Vikatan, Kungumam etc. That will probably happen this week which will spread the word about our helplines. I am also getting contacts of FM channels which can broadcast the message about the helpline.

Other stuff
I talked to one Mr.Jawahar of Doordarshan and asked him if we can do a program on Right To Information on DD, he said we can do it. So I talked to Nityanand, whether he would be ok with doing a program on RTI on DD. He also readily agreed. Let us see how this one goes. This might have a good reach, since it will reach all over tamil nadu (But yeah, I am not sure who is watching Doordarshan of all the channels).