UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics: How U.P. Bureaucracy Uses “Section 6(3)” to Bury Accountability

The Right to Information (RTI) Act of 2005 is meant to empower citizens. It serves as the strongest weapon in the pursuit of transparency. This act empowers citizens to hold authorities accountable. However, a recent case involving the Directorate of Local Bodies, Uttar Pradesh, reveals a troubling trend. There is a strategic misuse of administrative hierarchy to “downward-shift” responsibility. This tactic, often described as part of UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics, shields senior officials from scrutiny.

1. The Core Issue: Asset Disclosure and the SPARROW Portal

On January 4, 2024, the Government of Uttar Pradesh issued a mandate. It required all Civil Service officers to disclose their movable and immovable assets online via the SPARROW portal. This was a landmark move toward curbing corruption. (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

When an RTI was filed to check the compliance of this order, it requested the names of defaulters. It also asked for actions taken. The Directorate of Local Bodies, responsible for oversight, began a masterclass in evasion.

2. The Illegal “Downward Shifting” Tactic (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

Instead of providing the data, the Directorate took a different approach. They invoked Section 6(3) of the RTI Act. The Executive Officer (EO) of Nagar Palika Parishad, Mirzapur, transferred the application.

Why is this illegal? Section 6(3) of the RTI Act allows authorities to transfer requests to the actual custodian of the information. By sending a state-wide inquiry to a local town officer, the Directorate created a “Information Dead-End.

• The Power Gap: A local EO in Mirzapur cannot legally or physically access the Director’s internal files in Lucknow.
• The Accountability Gap: A subordinate cannot provide information on what “Action Taken” (Point 3) his own boss (the Director) did. He also cannot provide information on what the boss did not do.

3. Misuse of the “Nodal Officer” Position

In a shocking administrative twist, the RTI portal now lists the Mirzapur EO as the Nodal Officer. This change affects the entire Directorate’s RTI portal. This structural manipulation ensures that any inquiry into the Director’s office is intercepted by a subordinate. This subordinate does not have the authority to answer it. (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

4. The “Deemed Refusal” and the 680-Day Delay (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

As of the hearing on December 22, 2025, this RTI has been pending for over 683 days. Under Section 7(1), the limit is 30 days. The original PIO in Lucknow is passing the buck to a subordinate. They are attempting to evade the mandatory ₹25,000 penalty prescribed under Section 20 of the Act.

5. Challenging the Status Quo at the Information Commission

During the hearing in Room S-6 of the State Information Commission, a formal objection was filed to: (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

1. Quash the Transfer: Demand that the Directorate, as the “Appropriate Authority,” answer for its own internal records.
2. Expose the Mala Fide Intent: Show that the transfer was not an administrative necessity. Instead, it was a move to obstruct the flow of information.
3. Demand Penalties: Hold senior officers personally liable for the delay.

Conclusion: Transparency is Not Negotiable (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

The RTI Act was not designed to be a game of “hide and seek.” When a Head of Department uses a local officer as a shield, they aren’t just ignoring an RTI. They are undermining the state’s anti-corruption mandate. It is time for the Information Commission to stop this “downward-shifting” of responsibility. The Commission should hold the true custodians of power accountable.

To truly understand the “RTI Runaround” happening in your case, we must look closely at the 5 specific points. You requested these points of information. We need to look closely at each detail. The team carefully designed each point to expose administrative accountability. This is exactly why the Directorate is trying to avoid answering them.

---

Point 1 & 2: The “Who Complied?” and “Who Defied?” Lists

• The Information: Names and designations of staff who disclosed their assets by Jan 31, 2024, versus those who did not.
• The Conflict: The Directorate claims this is “local data.” The Directorate must maintain a Consolidated Compliance Report for the entire department as the supervisory body.
• The Reality: They compel you to go to the Mirzapur EO. This gives you a “micro-view” (just one town). It prevents you from seeing the “macro-view” (state-wide non-compliance). (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

Point 3: The “Action Taken” Report

• The Information:What specific disciplinary or administrative actions did the Director of Local Bodies take against the defaulters?
• Why the Transfer is Illegal: This is the “smoking gun.” An Executive Officer in Mirzapur cannot take action against his peers or superiors. Only the Director in Lucknow has this power.
• The Dead-End: If the Mirzapur EO is the PIO, he will simply reply “No such records exist in this office.” This statement is technically true for a local office. However, it is a lie for the Department.

#Point 4: The Internal Communications (The Paper Trail) (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

• The Information: Copies of all letters, emails, and memos exchanged between the Director and his subordinates regarding this mandate.
• Why the Transfer is Illegal: These documents are physically located in the Dispatch and Receipt registers of the Lucknow Directorate.
• The Logic: You are asking for the General’s orders. The Soldier in Mirzapur does not have the General’s private file cabinet. By transferring this point, the Directorate is effectively burying the evidence of whether they even tried to enforce the G.O.

Point 5: The “Dealing Hands” (Identifying the Delay-Makers)

• The Information: The name and designation of the specific staff members in the Directorate office who handled this file.
• The Intent: This point establishes individual responsibility for negligence.
• The Diversion: The Mirzapur EO cannot know who is sitting in an office in Lucknow processing these files. This point is strictly internal to the Head of Department (HoD). (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

---

Summary of the Information Gap (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

RTI Point	Custodian of Information	Can EO Mirzapur provide it?
List of Defaulters	Both (Local & HQ)	Only for Mirzapur town
Action Taken Report	Directorate (Lucknow) ONLY	NO
Internal Memos	Directorate (Lucknow) ONLY	NO
Processing Staff	Directorate (Lucknow) ONLY	NO

Why this matters for your Objection (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

You prove to the Commission that the transfer under Section 6(3) was strategic by highlighting these points. It was not an error. The information for Points 3, 4, and 5 is physically and legally impossible for the Mirzapur EO to provide. Therefore, the Directorate’s transfer was a “wilful obstruction” of information.

To help you track and manage this case effectively, here is a structured directory. It contains all identifiers, contact points, and digital links. This is especially useful during today’s hearing (22/12/2025). These resources are associated with your RTI appeal.

1. Core Case Identifiers (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

These are the numbers you must quote in every communication with the Commission or the Directorate.

• RTI Registration Number: DIRLB/R/2024/60013 (Original Request)
• Appeal Registration Number: A-20240700485
• Commission File Number: S06/A/1200/2024
• Diary Number (Today’s Hearing): D-221220250004
• Appeal Date: 07/07/2024
• Original Filing Date: 08/02/2024

---

2. Directory of Mobile Numbers & Contacts (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

Use these for follow-ups or to verify if the “Nodal Officer” is actually available to provide the records.

Name	Designation / Role	Mobile Number
Alok Goel	PIO / SAO (Directorate – Lucknow)	8574190717 / 885855XXXX
Susheel Chandra Gupta	Nodal Officer / EO (NPP Mirzapur)	7007068202
Yogi M. P. Singh	Appellant (You)	7379105911
UPIC Office	General Inquiry (RTI Bhawan)	0522-2303024

---

3. Official Email Directory (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

Send all written objections and rejoinders to these addresses to maintain a “legal paper trail.”

• Information Commission (Room S-6): hearingcourts6.upic@up.gov.in
• Directorate of Local Bodies (Primary): diruplb@nic.in
• PIO Directorate (Secondary): ulblko.sector7@gmail.com
• EO Nagar Palika Mirzapur: mirzapurnpp@gmail.com / eonppmirzapurm-up@nic.in

---

4. Essential Web Links (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

These links allow you to monitor the real-time status of your case and download official orders.

• UP Information Commission Portal:upsic.up.gov.in
  • Use this to track Appeal A-20240700485 status.
• UP RTI Online Portal:rtionline.up.gov.in
  • To check the status of DIRLB/R/2024/60013.
• SPARROW Portal (The subject matter):sparrow-pcs.up.gov.in
  • The portal where officers were mandated to file asset disclosures.
• Directorate of Local Bodies Official Site: localbodies.up.nic.in

---

5. Summary of the “Information Path” (UP Bureaucracy Evasion Tactics)

The “Information Path” is currently broken because:

1. Lucknow (Directorate) holds the Action Taken and Correspondence files.
2. Mirzapur (EO) has been named the Nodal Officer.
3. The Web Link (SPARROW) is the source of data. Only the Directorate has the supervisory credentials to see the “Defaulters List” for the whole state.