SHILLONG: In a scathing indictment of state administrative transparency, prominent Right to Information (RTI) activist Disparsing Rani has exposed what he terms a widespread, systematic effort by government officials to hide crucial public records using simple correction fluid.
Speaking to reporters at the Shillong Press Club, Disparsing shed light on his struggles to extract transparent data regarding the Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited—the corporate entity executing the natural gas pipeline project from Assam to Silchar—after filing formal RTI applications with the Ri-Bhoi Deputy Commissioner’s office in Nongpoh.
Describing a frustrating maze of red tape, the activist revealed how his queries were tossed in circles between the State Secretariat, the private corporation, and the Deputy Commissioner’s office, purposefully evading direct and accountable answers.
”Despite persistent follow-ups to obtain proper replies through the RTI mechanism, the responses received have been entirely unconvincing,” Disparsing stated, adding that official documents concerning company-managed zones are being heavily tampered with, featuring aggressive applications of white-out ink designed to blot out the truth.
Blaming state officers directly for these obstructionist tactics, Disparsing issued a stern warning that these attempts to conceal administrative facts under layers of correction fluid will inevitably backfire, triggering consequences that the administration will find impossible to contain.
His public outcry follows shocking findings from his recent RTI filings, which exposed a disturbing trend of official documents saturated with overwritten text, obscured data, and white-out masking, completely defeating the fundamental spirit of transparency and public accountability.
(4FrontMedia news)
