23rd May 2019- possibly it is the whole world waiting with bated breath- for the results of General Elections in India to be announced. I am not a psephologist but share the feel good factor that most of them have created by predicting a definite victory for Narendradass Damodar Modi.
Let me put it straight- the apex court verdict in the matter of demolition of 5 apartment complexes at Maradu, Kochi is literally a legal murder of justice.
It is 15 years since the Right to Information Act was introduced as another piece of legislation, only to cheat the masses once again. Touted as a sunshine act, as a panacea for corruption and introduce accountability of the public servants to the public, it has grown into one of the biggest, yet unrecognized, scams over the last 15 years.
Prudence dictates it is better to let sleeping dogs lie. But wisdom demands that the unpalatable and unpleasant, at least those in public domain, be discussed publicly and thrashed out in public interest.
This document discusses corruption in India over several decades, from the Jeep Scandal in 1948 to the recent gold smuggling case in Kerala. It notes that while corruption was rampant, no significant punishments were dealt out until recently. The document criticizes the role of bureaucrats in defense procurement and decision making, arguing the system inherited from Britain is flawed. It also strongly criticizes the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, for corruption in previous scandals and his likely involvement in the current gold smuggling case.
The title is a quip from Malayalam, the regional language of Kerala, India. It means for the king who kills, the minister who eats. It is used to describe an unholy nexus where no evidence of any crime is left. This was written in the context of a scam where the Government of Kerala shared private information of Covid patients to a software firm in the US of A, flouting all laws on such transactions. A bureaucrat, the Principle Private Secretary of the Chief Minister claimed that he had done it on his own, absolving his boss, secure in the feeling that his boss would not give permission to prosecute him, a ridiculous requirement of our laws.
Let me put it straight- the apex court verdict in the matter of demolition of 5 apartment complexes at Maradu, Kochi is literally a legal murder of justice.
It is 15 years since the Right to Information Act was introduced as another piece of legislation, only to cheat the masses once again. Touted as a sunshine act, as a panacea for corruption and introduce accountability of the public servants to the public, it has grown into one of the biggest, yet unrecognized, scams over the last 15 years.
Prudence dictates it is better to let sleeping dogs lie. But wisdom demands that the unpalatable and unpleasant, at least those in public domain, be discussed publicly and thrashed out in public interest.
This document discusses corruption in India over several decades, from the Jeep Scandal in 1948 to the recent gold smuggling case in Kerala. It notes that while corruption was rampant, no significant punishments were dealt out until recently. The document criticizes the role of bureaucrats in defense procurement and decision making, arguing the system inherited from Britain is flawed. It also strongly criticizes the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, for corruption in previous scandals and his likely involvement in the current gold smuggling case.
The title is a quip from Malayalam, the regional language of Kerala, India. It means for the king who kills, the minister who eats. It is used to describe an unholy nexus where no evidence of any crime is left. This was written in the context of a scam where the Government of Kerala shared private information of Covid patients to a software firm in the US of A, flouting all laws on such transactions. A bureaucrat, the Principle Private Secretary of the Chief Minister claimed that he had done it on his own, absolving his boss, secure in the feeling that his boss would not give permission to prosecute him, a ridiculous requirement of our laws.
This is the copy of a leaflet prepared for distribution during a protest against Palat Mohandas, the then Chief Information Commissioner, Kerala State Information Commission, when he had come to Palakkad on 08 Dec 2007 to address a seminar on Right to Information. The original is in Malayalam and this post includes the original and its translated version in English.
1. This document is an application to remove the Chief Information Commissioner under Section 14(3)(d) of the Right to Information Act 2005. The application argues that the performance of the Central Information Commission has been poor, delaying justice for information seekers.
2. Public hearings on the functioning of the Commission recommended that cases should not be closed without both parties being heard, penalties should be imposed when officials violate the law, and guidelines developed for exemptions. However, these recommendations have not been implemented.
3. The application provides two examples of absurd decisions by the Commission from the applicant's experience, demonstrating poor drafting and a misunderstanding of the cases. The applicant requests that the Chief Information Commissioner be removed and
On 19 feb 2009 there was open war in the Madras High Court premises when the police tried to control an unruly mob of advocates. Sree Krishna, former judge of the apex court, who inquired into the above incidence submitted an interim report on 4 Mar 2009. This report is documentary proof of how biased and unreliable our (former) judges are.
The only citizen friendly law in India- the Right to Information Act- has been totally subverted by the very commissioners appointed to enforce it. One of them, the Chief Information Commissioner of the Central Information Commission has been recently designated as the 1st Lt Governor of the newly created union territory of Ladhak. Shouldn't it be considered as a reward for treason?
The judiciary in India is a law unto itself. Recently, an apex court bench dusted an appeal of 2015 vintage and ordered 5 apartment complexes in Kochi to be demolished within one month- without having ensured that even one of the 350 odd owners of the flats had been heard.
For all the failures of the authorities to implement the laws the blame is invariably palmed off to the masses and their ignorance of the laws. This is a fraud. The performance of the authorities can be easily seen to be indifferent, incompetent and wayward by just studying their functions objectively. Whether it is the judiciary or the quasi judicial organisations they can all be seen most brazenly violating the laws which they are tasked, empowered, equipped and paid to enforce. The experience of those who know these laws is sufficient to indict these authorities.
Indian democracy is a unique system where unelected babus (bureaucrats) and judges dictate the terms. The civil military relationship should be the worst in India given the self serving nature of both the babus and judges and the helpless politicians acting as the sikhandi in the Mahabaratha though the former two can never be compared with Arjun.
This document discusses how democracy has been subverted in India through changes to the parliamentary system that have benefited lawmakers. It notes that MPs are not required to live in their constituencies, have unlimited chances to run for office even with criminal convictions, do not have to disclose expenses, and receive lifetime pensions even if they only serve one day. The document argues this has allowed lawmakers to irrationally and lavishly help themselves while claiming India is a poor country. It also discusses how links between criminals, politicians and bureaucrats have undermined the criminal justice system and good governance.
The only thing that marks India as a democracy is the periodical visits to the polling booths. Government administration, led by the bureaucrats of the Indian Administrative Service, is a synonym for corruption and treason. The politically elected government is just a puppet in the hands of these bureaucrats. And the judiciary is a law unto itself.
The Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states have been established to deal with corruption and impropriety at the higher levels of government. But sad to say, these have been turned into another rehabilitation home for retired judges.
Short of a decade after Anna Hazare led Anti Corruption Movement took the nation by storm from Jantar Mantar, the Lokpal is a reality in the country. As soon as the agitation had begun gathering momentum, the then UPA government led by Man Mohan Singh brought in a Bill in 2011 that was derided by the activists as Jokepal. They came up with a draft bill touted as Jan Lokpal. After some stalemate the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 became a reality in 2014. To be precise it became effective from 16 Jan 2014. But the appointment of the first Chairman and members of the Lokpal took another five years.
The Constitution of India, touted as the most voluminous and most detailed, has the dubious reputation of its own architect, DR Ambedkar stating that "I was a hack. What I was asked to, I did much against my will. I am quite prepared to say that I shall be the first person to burn it. It does not suit anybody.” It has also been criticised as a revised version of the Government of India Act 1935 which had been legislated by the colonial rulers to grant limited self government to the locals. Suffice to say that on completion of almost 7 decades, it retrospect it can definitely be said that it needs to be rewritten keeping the aspiration of the new generation in mind.
This email is a complaint to the Chief Minister of Kerala regarding various issues. It criticizes the Chief Minister's handling of the Sabarimala temple issue and allowing women's entry. It also criticizes his overseas trips at taxpayer expense and failures in handling the 2018 Kerala floods. The email requests the Chief Minister address these issues and improve governance or be prepared to lose public support in the next election. It provides links to additional critical commentary on these topics.
Kerala, a small state in southern India has faced one of its worst natural disasters in recent times- a flood since the last one 1924! How the indifference of the government of the day made it worse and almost man made is the topic of this article.
1. The document discusses a complaint filed with the Kerala State Information Commission regarding a response to a Right to Information (RTI) application.
2. The complainant had filed an RTI application with the Village Office, Pudussery Central seeking information about computer systems used in the office. When no response was received, he filed first and second appeals which also received no response.
3. In his decision, the Chief Information Commissioner noted that the complainant was absent from the hearing scheduled to address the complaint. The Commissioner determined that providing access to inspect documents was sufficient response to the original RTI application.
- The document discusses issues with various public institutions in India like the judiciary, bureaucracy, and elected representatives. It argues that corruption has become institutionalized and citizens are treated poorly.
- It highlights examples of delays in the judiciary and high legal costs preventing many from accessing justice. Reforms like reducing judge holidays and unwarranted adjournments are suggested.
- The bureaucracy is seen to have a stranglehold over government. More accountability and fixed tenures for bureaucrats are proposed along with using technology to collect citizen feedback.
- Elected representatives are criticized for focusing more on inaugurations than lawmaking. Reforms like prohibiting multiple candidacies and pensions for representatives are advocated.
This is the 3rd part of a 5 part series wherein an effort has been made to expose how the public servants in India has subverted the only pro democracy, citizen friendly law in the country- the Right to Information Act. Here are some more examples of how the acts are perpetrated.
There was a report in media a few days back about a list of 5 persons having been prepared for recommending them to be appointed as ICs to the KSIC. However, the procedure followed for the selection of these candidates is not known. Hence this application under the RTI Act to bring clarity on the issue.
Presentation by Rebecca Sachs and Joshua Varcie, analysts in CBO’s Health Analysis Division, at the 13th Annual Conference of the American Society of Health Economists.
This is the copy of a leaflet prepared for distribution during a protest against Palat Mohandas, the then Chief Information Commissioner, Kerala State Information Commission, when he had come to Palakkad on 08 Dec 2007 to address a seminar on Right to Information. The original is in Malayalam and this post includes the original and its translated version in English.
1. This document is an application to remove the Chief Information Commissioner under Section 14(3)(d) of the Right to Information Act 2005. The application argues that the performance of the Central Information Commission has been poor, delaying justice for information seekers.
2. Public hearings on the functioning of the Commission recommended that cases should not be closed without both parties being heard, penalties should be imposed when officials violate the law, and guidelines developed for exemptions. However, these recommendations have not been implemented.
3. The application provides two examples of absurd decisions by the Commission from the applicant's experience, demonstrating poor drafting and a misunderstanding of the cases. The applicant requests that the Chief Information Commissioner be removed and
On 19 feb 2009 there was open war in the Madras High Court premises when the police tried to control an unruly mob of advocates. Sree Krishna, former judge of the apex court, who inquired into the above incidence submitted an interim report on 4 Mar 2009. This report is documentary proof of how biased and unreliable our (former) judges are.
The only citizen friendly law in India- the Right to Information Act- has been totally subverted by the very commissioners appointed to enforce it. One of them, the Chief Information Commissioner of the Central Information Commission has been recently designated as the 1st Lt Governor of the newly created union territory of Ladhak. Shouldn't it be considered as a reward for treason?
The judiciary in India is a law unto itself. Recently, an apex court bench dusted an appeal of 2015 vintage and ordered 5 apartment complexes in Kochi to be demolished within one month- without having ensured that even one of the 350 odd owners of the flats had been heard.
For all the failures of the authorities to implement the laws the blame is invariably palmed off to the masses and their ignorance of the laws. This is a fraud. The performance of the authorities can be easily seen to be indifferent, incompetent and wayward by just studying their functions objectively. Whether it is the judiciary or the quasi judicial organisations they can all be seen most brazenly violating the laws which they are tasked, empowered, equipped and paid to enforce. The experience of those who know these laws is sufficient to indict these authorities.
Indian democracy is a unique system where unelected babus (bureaucrats) and judges dictate the terms. The civil military relationship should be the worst in India given the self serving nature of both the babus and judges and the helpless politicians acting as the sikhandi in the Mahabaratha though the former two can never be compared with Arjun.
This document discusses how democracy has been subverted in India through changes to the parliamentary system that have benefited lawmakers. It notes that MPs are not required to live in their constituencies, have unlimited chances to run for office even with criminal convictions, do not have to disclose expenses, and receive lifetime pensions even if they only serve one day. The document argues this has allowed lawmakers to irrationally and lavishly help themselves while claiming India is a poor country. It also discusses how links between criminals, politicians and bureaucrats have undermined the criminal justice system and good governance.
The only thing that marks India as a democracy is the periodical visits to the polling booths. Government administration, led by the bureaucrats of the Indian Administrative Service, is a synonym for corruption and treason. The politically elected government is just a puppet in the hands of these bureaucrats. And the judiciary is a law unto itself.
The Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states have been established to deal with corruption and impropriety at the higher levels of government. But sad to say, these have been turned into another rehabilitation home for retired judges.
Short of a decade after Anna Hazare led Anti Corruption Movement took the nation by storm from Jantar Mantar, the Lokpal is a reality in the country. As soon as the agitation had begun gathering momentum, the then UPA government led by Man Mohan Singh brought in a Bill in 2011 that was derided by the activists as Jokepal. They came up with a draft bill touted as Jan Lokpal. After some stalemate the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 became a reality in 2014. To be precise it became effective from 16 Jan 2014. But the appointment of the first Chairman and members of the Lokpal took another five years.
The Constitution of India, touted as the most voluminous and most detailed, has the dubious reputation of its own architect, DR Ambedkar stating that "I was a hack. What I was asked to, I did much against my will. I am quite prepared to say that I shall be the first person to burn it. It does not suit anybody.” It has also been criticised as a revised version of the Government of India Act 1935 which had been legislated by the colonial rulers to grant limited self government to the locals. Suffice to say that on completion of almost 7 decades, it retrospect it can definitely be said that it needs to be rewritten keeping the aspiration of the new generation in mind.
This email is a complaint to the Chief Minister of Kerala regarding various issues. It criticizes the Chief Minister's handling of the Sabarimala temple issue and allowing women's entry. It also criticizes his overseas trips at taxpayer expense and failures in handling the 2018 Kerala floods. The email requests the Chief Minister address these issues and improve governance or be prepared to lose public support in the next election. It provides links to additional critical commentary on these topics.
Kerala, a small state in southern India has faced one of its worst natural disasters in recent times- a flood since the last one 1924! How the indifference of the government of the day made it worse and almost man made is the topic of this article.
1. The document discusses a complaint filed with the Kerala State Information Commission regarding a response to a Right to Information (RTI) application.
2. The complainant had filed an RTI application with the Village Office, Pudussery Central seeking information about computer systems used in the office. When no response was received, he filed first and second appeals which also received no response.
3. In his decision, the Chief Information Commissioner noted that the complainant was absent from the hearing scheduled to address the complaint. The Commissioner determined that providing access to inspect documents was sufficient response to the original RTI application.
- The document discusses issues with various public institutions in India like the judiciary, bureaucracy, and elected representatives. It argues that corruption has become institutionalized and citizens are treated poorly.
- It highlights examples of delays in the judiciary and high legal costs preventing many from accessing justice. Reforms like reducing judge holidays and unwarranted adjournments are suggested.
- The bureaucracy is seen to have a stranglehold over government. More accountability and fixed tenures for bureaucrats are proposed along with using technology to collect citizen feedback.
- Elected representatives are criticized for focusing more on inaugurations than lawmaking. Reforms like prohibiting multiple candidacies and pensions for representatives are advocated.
This is the 3rd part of a 5 part series wherein an effort has been made to expose how the public servants in India has subverted the only pro democracy, citizen friendly law in the country- the Right to Information Act. Here are some more examples of how the acts are perpetrated.
There was a report in media a few days back about a list of 5 persons having been prepared for recommending them to be appointed as ICs to the KSIC. However, the procedure followed for the selection of these candidates is not known. Hence this application under the RTI Act to bring clarity on the issue.
Presentation by Rebecca Sachs and Joshua Varcie, analysts in CBO’s Health Analysis Division, at the 13th Annual Conference of the American Society of Health Economists.
karnataka housing board schemes . all schemesnarinav14
The Karnataka government, along with the central government’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), offers various housing schemes to cater to the diverse needs of citizens across the state. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the major housing schemes available in the Karnataka housing board for both urban and rural areas in 2024.
Jennifer Schaus and Associates hosts a complimentary webinar series on The FAR in 2024. Join the webinars on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, eastern.
Recordings are on YouTube and the company website.
https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferschaus/videos
The Power of Community Newsletters: A Case Study from Wolverton and Greenleys...Scribe
YOU WILL DISCOVER:
The engaging history and evolution of Wolverton and Greenleys Town Council's newsletter
Strategies for producing a successful community newsletter and generating income through advertising
The decision-making process behind moving newsletter design from in-house to outsourcing and its impacts
Dive into the success story of Wolverton and Greenleys Town Council's newsletter in this insightful webinar. Hear from Mandy Shipp and Jemma English about the newsletter's journey from its inception to becoming a vital part of their community's communication, including its history, production process, and revenue generation through advertising. Discover the reasons behind outsourcing its design and the benefits this brought. Ideal for anyone involved in community engagement or interested in starting their own newsletter.
Jennifer Schaus and Associates hosts a complimentary webinar series on The FAR in 2024. Join the webinars on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, eastern.
Recordings are on YouTube and the company website.
https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferschaus/videos
Indira awas yojana housing scheme renamed as PMAYnarinav14
Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) played a significant role in addressing rural housing needs in India. It emerged as a comprehensive program for affordable housing solutions in rural areas, predating the government’s broader focus on mass housing initiatives.
How To Cultivate Community Affinity Throughout The Generosity JourneyAggregage
This session will dive into how to create rich generosity experiences that foster long-lasting relationships. You’ll walk away with actionable insights to redefine how you engage with your supporters — emphasizing trust, engagement, and community!
How To Cultivate Community Affinity Throughout The Generosity Journey
23 rd may 2019 and a nation waiting with bated breath
1. 23RD
MAY 2019 AND A NATION WAITING WITH BATED BREATH
P M Ravindran, raviforjustice@gmail.com
23rd
May 2019- possibly it is the whole world waiting with bated breath- for
the results of General Elections in India to be announced. I am not a
psephologist but share the feel good factor that most of them have created by
predicting a definite victory for Narendradass Damodar Modi. His first term
has to be considered successful for merely applying brakes on a nation that
was fast sliding into an abyss of everything that a civilized society abhors.
While this in itself is laudable, the real positive change that has happened is in
the national pride that has been awakened. Physically, projects like Make in
India and the development of infrastructure in the areas of transportation are
the most visible. But then, as Robert Frost said ‘there are miles to go and miles
to go before one can go to sleep’, that is if ever one can go to sleep.
While demonetization and introduction of GST have reduced corruption to a
large extent, it cannot be said that the quality of government administration
and justice delivery has improved even marginally. One benchmark I use to
make this assertion is the response to applications and appeals under the Right
to Information Act. My Save Right to Information Campaign (see the Mission
Statement at the end of this article) has been succeeding only in exposing the
public servants rather than getting any information sought. This not being the
topic of this article, we will leave it here.
When one evaluates the performance of governments, I loath to think about
the lack of transparency and accountability in the functioning of each and
every institution. The worst, of course, is the judiciary followed by the
bureaucracy.
The recent events that shook the apex court highlight the urgent need to have
a National Judicial Accountability Commission with powers to try and punish
judge as per laws applicable to ordinary citizens but with twice the severity.
The allegation against the Chief Justice of India was legally a non-bailable
offence. If my memory serves me right it was the apex court that directed that
the accused need be arrested only if the allegation has been investigated by an
officer of the rank not less than an SP of Police. Maybe such an investigation in
the matter of an allegation against the CJI would have been futile. But then did
the court follow its own guidelines laid down in the Visakha verdict? No. The in
house committee that was required to investigate such allegations was headed
by Ms Indu Malhotra, a woman judge of the apex court who had attracted the
nation’s attention as the lone dissenter in the controversial Sabrimala
womens’ entry case. Not only was the matter not taken up by this committee
but even Ms Indu Malhotra was inducted into the three judge special bench
only after there was objection to one of the judges in the male dominated
bench constituted the first time. This was an action that could be easily
2. discerned as panic reaction. Suffice to say that the clean chit given to the Chief
Justice Gogoi by this special bench was not unexpected and has dealt another
death blow to the credibility of the judiciary in general and the apex court in
particular.
Another case to be mentioned here, at least in passing, is the number of times
P Chidambaram is being granted bail. Social media is rife with speculation
whether this will make it to Guinness’s Book of World Records for the number
of times an accused is granted bail.
The failures of the bureaucracy, even just in the context of the current
elections, will suffice to expose the fallacy of it being the steel frame of
government administration.
The number of cases of bogus voting in Kerala has been mind boggling. Video
clips from CCTVs installed in a few problematic booths have gone viral and
some of these violations have been confirmed by the State Electoral Officer.
But there is a video of a Marxist party member claiming that though a few
cases have been exposed due to the stupidity of the bogus voters who had
been adequately briefed earlier, there are many cases that will never be
detected. (This video, available at https://youtu.be/Z6Qqna43Cwg is in
Malayalam). The latest report confirms re-polling in 4 booths. A first time in
Kerala. Reminds me of booth capturing which was rampant in Bihar and Uttar
Pradesh in the 1970s and 80s. The video reports by Ms Nalini Singh are so vivid
in one’s memory.
One of the bogus voters, having been identified as a member of a local self
government body, the CEO had recommended her to be removed from office.
The State Election Commissioner has refused to do it. His arguments are
irrefutably ludicrous. He has reportedly stated that it could be done only if a
court has convicted the accused for misbehavior or impersonation and even
that should be reported to the Commission by a voter within the jurisdiction of
that local body or the secretary of that local body or an officer empowered by
the government for that purpose. It bedevils me to analyze whether it is the
laws that are dubious or the public servants administering them.
While the law is clear that private property can be used for campaigning by the
candidates only with the approval of the owner, come elections and both
public and private properties that are not occupied are treated like the
candidates’ own. Of course some of the walls of even occupied properties are
booked in advance, with or without the permission of the owners.
I have had the horror of finding the walls of the land adjoining my house
defaced by a candidate. (Please see ‘Elections: The dance of democracy or...’ at
http://www.vijayvaani.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?aid=4996). The land being in
3. the names of my children, who are away, I had complained to all the
authorities- the District Electoral Officer, the Chief Electoral Officer of the State
and the Central Election Commission. The Central Election Commission had
responded with a perfunctory ‘your complaint has been forwarded to the
concerned authorities’ but there has been no response to the query seeking
the designation and address of these concerned authorities. Also a team,
under a Junior Superintendent, from the Revenue Divisional Office, had come
and made some inquiry but no formal communication has been received from
anybody so far.
As usual there have been reports in the media of defacing squads defacing the
defaced walls or removing unauthorized hoardings. But this is obviously not
even a miniscule of what is required. Even an RTI query on recovery of dues
from the candidates, for this symbolic effort by the anti defacing squads,
during the last General Elections, has not elicited any valid response.
The next cause of concern is the plethora of complaints of Model Code of
Conduct violations by the candidates, parties and their proxies. The most
important has been of the Congress President and Amethi candidate, Rahul
Ghandi, blatantly lying about the apex court indicting the PM, Narendra Modi,
in the Rafale fighterjet deal. Apparently, only the contempt of court issue had
been taken up by the petitioner and not the defamation of the PM who is also
a candidate. Though the court is yet to give its final decision on the petition, it
was astonishing that the court gave more than one opportunity to the
respondent to apologise. Though finally an apology has been tendered Rahul
himself has been going around declaring that it was only to the court.
Rahul got another slap on his face when Oxford Dictionary officials rebutted a
false claim by him (or his dirty tricks department) that there was a new word
introduced in the dictionary as ‘modilie’ (‘Oxford Dictionary calls Rahul
Gandhi's bluff on new word Modilie’ at
https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/lok-sabha-2019/story/oxford-dictionary-
rahul-gandhi-modilie-tweet-1526696-2019-05-16)
Violation of the MCC reached a new low with Rahul’s sister, Priyanka Vadra,
encouraging even children to repeat the lie ‘chowkidar chor hai’.
Whatever NaMo has done during his first term can mostly be considered as
setting the stage only. He has certainly done a good job in managing the
available resources with the rusted tools bequeathed to him. The fresh
mandate will certainly be for decisive steps to make institutions of governance
transparent, accountable, effective and efficient.
17 May 2019
4. Save Right to Information Campaign
Mission Statement
‘Save Right to information. Use Right to Information Act.
Get information or......expose at least three idiots/traitors* among public
servants!
1. The Public Information Officer,
2. The First Appellate Authority (and the head of public authority where the
head of the public authority is not the FAA!) and
3. The Information Commissioner
(* An idiot is one who does not know the job s/he is getting paid to do and a
traitor is one who knows it but does not do it!)