“RTI not to harass officials, but to help applicants”

Nizamabad: Right to Information (RTI) State Commissioner Tantiyakumari expressed her displeasure over the functioning of Government Hospital in the town. Accompanied by other officials, she went round various wards of the district headquarters hospital at about 10.30 am and interacted with the patients. She expressed her unhappiness over the absence of doctors and other medical staff at the hospital at the time. She spoke to some of the employees who were present at the hospital.

Later, she held a review meeting at Pragathi Bhavan (Collectorate) with the officials of various departments on RTI. She directed the officials to provide information to the applicants under RTI within the stipulated period.

``Officials should not think that the RTI is being used against them by the petitioners. Several applicants are making use of the RTI to know the progress of their applications with regard to promotions, seniority, availability of vacancies in various departments, to find out results in examinations and for other purposes. Common people apply under RTI to get information about their applications and not with the intention of taking action against officials,’’ the RTI Commissioner said.

As part of review over the functioning of Government Hospital, she expressed her dissatisfaction over the functioning of the hospital. She pulled up hospital superintendent Bhim Singh for his lapses in maintaining the hospital. ``The quality of food served to patients is not up to the mark. The patients are supplied half glass milk but the records state that half litre milk was supplied to each of them,’’ she said.

The hospital surroundings are maintained in unhygienic conditions. Though adequate quantities of medicines are supplied to the hospital, the patients are not supplied with the medicines, she said. Ms Tantia Kumari directed the Additional Joint Collector Seshadri to inspect the hospital again and send a report to her within a week. Additonal JC Seshadri, DRO Jayaramaiah and others were present.