Patna: At least 20 RTI activists have been killed in the state since 2010, including 10 in the past four years.
The RTI Act came into force in the country on June 15, 2005.
The last victim in the country was an activist RTI Bipin Agrawal, who was killed at the entrance of the Hariddhi Blok Office in the East Chamberan district on Friday.
In accordance with RTI activists based in Buxar, Shree Prakash Rai, five activists were killed in 2018, two in 2020 and three, including agrawal, so far this year.
He said an RTI-cum-former Mukhiya activist, Praveen Jha, had died after being hit by a SUV at Banka on September 7.
“Jha is involved in exposing corruption in the public distribution system.
We know that it is the nephew of the Dealer PDS that destroyed Jha when she traveled by bicycle,” he said.
Before Jha, another RTI activist was killed in Motahari earlier this year, Rai said.
Last year, Pankaj Kumar Singh, who had launched a campaign against illegal sand mining in the state, was killed in Bikram in Patna at 3.
Another RTI activist, Shyam Sundar Kumar, was killed in February 7, he said.
Prakash said in some cases, the government department in the country takes up to two years to answer in the RIT law.
“When the State Information Commission (SIC) was established in Bihar in 2006, a reply once came in a month.
However, it took months and, in some cases, for years to get recently,” he said.
Activists added time when government officials would be restless after receiving RTI questions raised by ordinary people.
“Things have changed now.
Fear has disappeared among corrupt officers.
They know very well that there are no actions to be carried out on them,” he said.
Another RTI activist, Ashish Ranjan, said activists were democratic foot warriors.
“RTI activists in the state experience demoralization due to attacks on them and delaying getting information,” he said.
He added that SiC must be more proactive.
“Through the days when the state government ordinary focus on RTI Act.
It is used to regulate training for public information officers for timely delivery of information.
However, nothing is done now,” he said.
JD (U) Spokesman Dr.
Suheli Mehta said RTI activists must be protected.
“The police must take strict action against those who attack or kill RTI activists.
The state government does not interfere with police work,” said Mehta.
He refused to accept that the government had lost focus on RTI.
“The state government has launched Lok Shikayat Nivar Adhikar Adhiniam.
It was the same as RTI.
Sic is an independent body and the government does not interfere with its function,” he added.