🛑 A Digital Blackout on Flood Relief: Mirzapur Flood Relief & Irregularities.

From 2016 Orders to 2024 Camps: Where is the Public Data? 🌊

Natural disasters, especially devastating floods, demand immediate, transparent, and accountable government response. Yet, in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur district, a consistent pattern of digital blackout on crucial flood relief information is emerging. Whether it’s historical aid distribution or current relief camp status, citizens are repeatedly hitting dead ends online, forcing them to invoke the Right to Information (RTI) Act for basic public data.

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🔍 The Unanswered Questions of 2016 Flood Relief

The journey for transparency began with an RTI application (Registration No. DMOMR/R/2025/60361) seeking details on flood relief assistance provided in 2016 for Nibi Gaharwar Village Panchayat. The core of this request includes:

• Beneficiary Lists: Names and father’s names of those who received aid.
• Application & Distribution Counts: How many applied, and how many received assistance.
• Official Orders: The government orders (like GO No. 698/1-10-2016, dated 17/06/2016) guiding the distribution.
• Accountable Staff: Names and designations of officials involved.
• Public Web Link: The mandated URL where this information should have been available.

The need to file an RTI for such fundamental data, years after the event, is a stark indicator that proactive disclosure, as mandated by Section 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act, 2005, was (and likely still is) severely lacking.

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🚫Mirzapur Flood Relief: The Continuing Digital Void for Current Relief

Even more concerning is the current state of affairs. A recent check of the Rahat Aayukt Karyalaya (Relief Commissioner Office), Uttar Pradesh Government website—the official portal for disaster management—reveals a troubling reality for the ongoing financial year (2024-2025).

Key Finding from the Official Portal: (Mirzapur Flood Relief)

• When filtering for “Mirzapur” district for the “2024-2025” financial year under “ग्राम स्तर पर राहत शिविर का विवरण” (Details of relief camps at the village level), the website explicitly states: “डाटा मौजूद नहीं है” (Data is not available).

This isn’t just a lack of detailed beneficiary lists; it’s a complete absence of even basic information about whether relief camps are operational or active for the current year.

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📉 The Systemic Failure of Proactive Disclosure

This consistent pattern, spanning from 2016 to 2024, points to a deeper, systemic issue:

1. Violation of RTI Act, Section 4(1)(b): The persistent absence of crucial information on government websites is a direct breach of the legal mandate requiring proactive disclosure. Citizens should not have to file RTI applications for basic data on disaster relief.
2. Erosion of Public Trust: When official channels offer no verifiable data, it fosters suspicion about the fairness, efficiency, and honest allocation of funds and resources during critical times.
3. Hindrance to Oversight: The lack of digital records makes it nearly impossible for civil society, media, or even higher authorities to effectively monitor relief efforts.

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📢 Call for Digital Accountability and Action

The Public Information Officer (PIO) Tehsildar Vishal Kumar Sharma, designated for the RTI application, has a clear responsibility. Not only must the PIO provide the requested information from 2016, but this ongoing lack of current data highlights an urgent need for broader reform.

We demand:

• Immediate upload of all past and present flood relief data (beneficiary lists, expenditure, government orders, camp details) on the Mirzapur District website and the Rahat Aayukt Karyalaya portal.
• Regular and real-time updates of all disaster management activities, including relief camp status, available resources, and contact information.
• Adherence to Section 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act as a fundamental principle of good governance, not merely an optional formality.

The lives and livelihoods of flood-affected citizens depend on an accountable and transparent relief mechanism. The current digital blackout is unacceptable and must be rectified without delay.

Here is all the provided information regarding the RTI application, flood relief context, and officer contact details consolidated into one place for easy reference:

📊 Consolidated RTI Application and Contact Details

This summary includes the applicant, the Public Authority, the specifics of the application, and the contact information for the concerned officials.

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1. 📝 RTI Application Details (Mirzapur Flood Relief)

Detail	Information
Registration Number	DMOMR/R/2025/60361
Date of Filing	08/12/2025
Public Authority	DISTRICT MAGISTRATE OFFICE MIRZAPUR
Status	RTI REQUEST RECEIVED as on 08/12/2025
Subject of Information	Flood relief assistance in Village Panchayat Nibi Gaharwar, Tehsil Mirzapur Sadar.
Relevant GO Reference	GO No. 698/1-10-2016 dated 17/06/2016 (Regarding अहैतुक सहायता for Mirzapur, etc.)
Transparency Issue	Information concerning flood relief assistance is not available on any website of the government, and the official portal shows “डाटा मौजूद नहीं है” for 2024-2025 relief camp details.

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2. 👤 Applicant Details

Detail	Information
Name	Yogi M P Singh
Address	Mohalla- Surekapuram , Jabalpur Road (Pincode: 231001)
Mobile	7379105911
Email	yogimpsingh$$at$$gmail$$dot$$com
BPL Status	No

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3. 📞 Concerned Officers’ Contact Information

Officer Role	Name	Designation	Mobile	Email
Concerned PIO	Vishal Kumar Sharma	Tehsildar	9454416823	teh-sadar$$dot$$mi$$at$$up$$dot$$gov$$dot$$in
Nodal Officer	Ajay Kumar Singh	(Not specified in table)	8756844195	shakti$$dot$$3916$$at$$up$$dot$$gov$$dot$$in

4. Final RTI Request Text (Used for Online Submission)

Information seeker Yogi M P Singh, Mohalla Surekapuram Colony, Jabalpur Road, Mirzapur city, District_ Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh. The applicant wants to seek Information concerning flood relief assistance by the government in the village panchayat Nibi Gaharwar, post_ Nibi Gaharwar, Development block _ Chhanbey, Tehsil_ Mirzapur Sadar, District Mirzapur Uttar Pradesh.

1- Total number of applications collected from the village panchayat for the flood relief assistance.
2- Total number of beneficiaries who have got the flood relief assistance up till now.
3- Provide the name and fathers name of the beneficiaries who have got the flood relief assistance by government.
4- Provide the certified copies of the beneficiaries list containing the name of the father and the name of the beneficiaries.
5- Provide the circular office memo Govt order regarding the distribution of the flood relief assistance in the district Mirzapur.
6- Provide the name and designation of the Public staff engaged in providing the FLOOD relief assistance in the village panchayat Nibi Gaharwar.
7- Provide the Web link where the information concerning the flood relief assistance is regularly updated as required under section 4(1) (b) of the right to information act 2005.

PIO Tehsildar Sadar Vishal Kumar Sharma Mirzapur Sadar Tehsil Public information officer must provide 7 points of information within stipulated time 30 days as prescribed under subsection one up section seven of the right to information act 2005.

4. 📝 Final RTI Request Text (Used for Online Submission)

That’s an important piece of information to include for anyone needing to follow up on this application or find information generally.

Here are the relevant web addresses for the RTI online portal and the Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner’s office:

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🌐 Key Government Web Addresses (Mirzapur Flood Relief)

1. RTI Online Portal (Uttar Pradesh)

While Mirzapur uses the state’s online RTI system, the link to the official Mirzapur district website is useful for general public authority information. However, the direct RTI portal is usually managed at the state or central level.

Description	Web Address (General)	Notes
Mirzapur NIC Official Website (General District Info)	https://mirzapur.nic.in/	Use this for finding general district schemes and information.
UP Online RTI Portal (For Filing Applications)	https://rtionline.up.gov.in/index.php?lan=E	For state matters (like Tehsildar/DM): The PIO’s office in Mirzapur may use a specific district or UP state portal.

2. Office of Commissioner of Natural Calamity Relief (Rahat Aayukt Karyalaya), Uttar Pradesh

This is the specific portal where flood relief data is mandated to be published (and where the data was found missing in your check).

Description	Web Address	Notes
Relief Commissioner UP Portal (For Disaster Data)	https://rahat.up.nic.in/	This is the portal mentioned in your screenshot for checking relief camps and flood work plans.

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