Accountability in the Mud: The Lohandi River RTI Crisis in Mirzapur

The Lohandi River, a vital water body in the Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh, stands today as a silent witness to a conflict between public environmental mandates and bureaucratic opacity. While the Government of India channels hundreds of millions of rupees into the Namami Gange Mission 2.0 to rejuvenate the Ganga and its tributaries, the local reality on the ground—specifically regarding the Lohandi River cleanliness drive—presents a troubling picture of administrative evasion.

The case of Yogi M P Singh, an RTI activist, highlights a systemic failure where the Right to Information (RTI) Act is being treated more as a procedural hurdle to be bypassed than a legislative tool for transparency.

---

The Core Conflict: Procedural Evasion vs. Public Right

At the heart of this dispute is the District Development Officer (DDO) of Mirzapur, Shrawan Kumar Rai. Upon receiving an RTI application (Registration No: COMRD/R/2025/60052) concerning the cleaning and renovation of the Lohandi River, the DDO took a step that, while legally permissible in isolation, has been used as a tool for total disposal of the request.

Under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act 2005, a Public Information Officer (PIO) may transfer an application to another authority if the information is more closely connected to that authority’s functions. In this instance, the DDO transferred the request to the Block Development Officer (BDO) of City Mirzapur.

However, the illegality arises from the DDO’s subsequent action: closing the RTI request and marking it as “Disposed” on the RTI portal simply because it was transferred.

Why “Transfer” is not “Disposal”

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has repeatedly ruled that a transfer under Section 6(3) does not discharge the PIO from their ultimate responsibility. By marking the status as “Disposed,” the DDO effectively killed the application’s lifecycle on the portal, preventing the applicant from tracking the progress or receiving a cohesive response. This “cryptic role” played by the public authority prevents the citizen from accessing the final data and essentially “encroaches upon the right of the first appeal.”

---

The ₹10 Million Question: Where is the Transparency?

The scale of the Lohandi River project is not insignificant. Under the broader umbrella of the Namami Gange Mission 2.0, Mirzapur has seen a sanctioned investment of approximately ₹129 crores.

The specific information sought regarding the Lohandi River involves a renovation and cleanliness drive with an estimated budget in the realm of ₹10 million. The public has a right to know:

1. The Decision Makers: Names and designations of the officials who sanctioned the allocation.
2. The Executioners: Details of the tendering process and the contractors hired for the cleaning drive.
3. The Outcome: Monitoring reports that verify if the “cleanliness drive” actually resulted in a cleaner river.

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) confirms that the mission includes the construction of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) at Pakka Pokhra and Bisunderpur, with a combined capacity of 17 MLD. Yet, when a citizen asks for the specific administrative trail of a local river project, the bureaucracy retreats into a shell of procedural transfers.

---

Misuse of Section 6(3): A Tool for Corruption?

The applicant argues that the DDO’s decision to close the file upon transfer is a deliberate attempt to “escape from accountability.” If every district-level officer can simply transfer an application downward to a subordinate and then wash their hands of the matter, the hierarchy of the RTI Act collapses.

When a PIO closes an application prematurely:

• The applicant cannot easily file a First Appeal against the “original” authority.
• The “trail of responsibility” is broken.
• The subordinate authority (BDO) often lacks the resources or the political will to disclose high-value financial data involving district-level sanctions.

This creates a “transparency black hole” where public funds disappear into projects that exist on paper, but for which no official is willing to stand as the point of contact.

---

The First Appeal: Seeking Relief from the CDO

Faced with this “misleading and false” disposal, the applicant has filed a First Appeal (Registration No: COMRD/A/2025/60058) before the Chief Development Officer (CDO) of Mirzapur, who serves as the First Appellate Authority (FAA).

The Prayer for Relief

The appeal is not merely a request for information; it is a demand for the restoration of the Rule of Law. The appellant seeks:

• A reversal of the “Disposed” status: The RTI must be reopened until the information is actually provided.
• Direction to Subordinates: The CDO must direct the BDO and DDO to provide the specific names, designations, and mobile numbers of the staff involved in the Lohandi project.
• Accountability for Misleading Data: Action against the PIO for providing incomplete and misleading information on the government portal.

---

Conclusion: The Stakes for Mirzapur

The Lohandi River is more than a geographical feature; it is a test case for the efficacy of the RTI Act in Uttar Pradesh. If a ₹10 million project can be shielded from public scrutiny through clever portal status changes and administrative transfers, then the goal of the RTI Act—to promote transparency and curb corruption—remains unfulfilled.

Transparency is the best disinfectant. For the Lohandi River to be truly “clean,” the administrative processes governing its restoration must first be cleared of the “mud” of bureaucratic opacity.

Actionable Next Steps for Citizens:

If you are facing similar issues with RTI transfers in Mirzapur or elsewhere, ensure that your First Appeal specifically mentions that “Transfer is not Disposal.” Cite the CIC guidelines and demand that the Nodal Officer provide the specific contact details of the transferee PIO.

Based on your filing, here are the key identifiers, contact details for the authorities involved, and relevant web links for tracking your case.

1. Case Identifiers

Type	Registration Number	Date of Filing	Status
Initial RTI Application	COMRD/R/2025/60052	03/02/2025	Disposed (Transfer)
First Appeal	COMRD/A/2025/60058	22/02/2025	Appeal Received

---

2. Authority Contact Details

These are the specific officials responsible for providing the information or hearing your appeal.

Public Information Officer (PIO)

• Name: Shrawan Kumar Rai¹
• Designation: District Development Officer (DDO), Mirzapur²
• Mobile: 9454465108³
• Email: ddomirzapur123@gmail.com

First Appellate Authority (FAA)

• Name: Vishal Kumar (I.A.S.) / Mirzapur-CDO⁴
• Designation: Chief Development Officer (CDO), Mirzapur⁵
• Mobile: 9454465106⁶
• Email: drda-mir@nic.in or cdo-mir@up.gov.in

Nodal Officer (Department of Rural Development)

• Name: Mahendra Kumar⁷
• Email: crd-up@nic.in

---

3. Essential Web Links

Use these links to track status, file further appeals, or check government records.

• Track RTI Status (UP Online): rtionline.up.gov.in/request/status.php
• State Information Commission (UP): upsic.up.nic.in (For Second Appeals)
• Mirzapur District Official Directory: mirzapur.nic.in/whoswho
• Namami Gange Project Dashboard: nmcg.nic.in (For cross-referencing Mirzapur project data)

---

Summary of the Issue

The DDO’s decision to “Dispose” the RTI simply because it was transferred to the BDO (under Section 6(3)) is a procedural error. As the FAA, the CDO has the power to direct the DDO to reopen the application and ensure a final, consolidated response is uploaded.

Would you like me to draft a reminder email for you to send to the CDO (FAA) to ensure they hear your appeal within the statutory 30-day window?