CHENNAI: A Chennai-based RTI activist was left stumped when the health department officials sought proof of his citizenship.

Jayaram Venkatesan, convenor of Arappor Iyakkam, had filed an RTI petition on May 2 seeking information from the government-run medical college in Dharmapuri. He had sought details of the attendance of the housekeeping and security staff. With the department not replying within the compulsory 30 days, Venkatesan filed an appeal petition on June 15 to which he got an answer on Monday.

In the reply, the public information officer said, “You have mentioned that you want information under the RTI Act, 2005. You have also mentioned you are an Indian citizen, but you have not attached any proof for it. So we have sent the original RTI petition back.” Jayaram said he was ‘shocked’ at the reply. “They are finding innovative ways to deny information. The health department has always been very indifferent to activists,” he said. Balaji Premkumar, another RTI activist, had faced hurdles. “I had filed the application in the name of Balaji Premkumar. But I had filed the appeal petition as Balaji P and they said they cannot provide the information as the names were different,” he said.

Jayaram said in the past too the Indian citizenship clause had been used to deny information. “They could have asked us to furnish the proof so that they could provide the information. But there is no mention of that at all. They just do not want to give the information,” he said. J Radhakrishnan, principal secretary to government health and family welfare department, said he had instructed all officials to provide information.

