'Info bosses love long drives, burn our money'

BHOPAL: Their home is just 3 km from office, but car has to travel as much as 91 km to reach there. Information commissioners fascination for long drive in the state where pendency of RTI appeals is in thousands was revealed by a query under Right to Information Act (RTI).
Their long-drive penchant is not limited to travel within the city, but also to their hometown for 'attending seminars' and sometimes without specific reasons.All, of course, by official vehicles.
Documents procured under RTI by Dubey has revealed facts. However, officials maintain travels were within permissible limits.
Like vehicle number MP 02 AB 0058, which belongs to one of the information commissioners travelled 91 km in Bhopal on July 7 last year. Again it travelled 91 km on July 8, then 84 km on July 3, 90 km on July 4 and 88 km on July 5.
Most of these commissioners stay in Char Imli area, which is some 3 km from state information commission.
One of information commissioners, who hails from Gwalior, went to Gwalior on an official trip in June this year after seeking approval of chief information commissioner on a note-sheet in which it was written, “I will be going on Gwalior tour on June 5 and 6” without specifying reason for visit.
In another such case, an information commissioner went for official trip to Indore—to attend a seminar— but before it he went to Mandu, a tourist spot and it was only late in evening that he came for the seminar. Another commissioner went to attend a seminar organized by a particular caste group in Gwalior.
"The Act says state information commissioners should hear appeals at the commission thus these frequent tours seem a bit extravagant," Ajay Dubey, who took information under RTI Act, told TOI.
"Bhopal is such a small town. How can one travel 91 km on official tour," Dubey asked. On being contacted, chief information commissioner K D Khan, however, said, "There is a limit of 220 litres of fuel use for each of information commissioner and any use above this limit is to be borne by commissioner. So it is always within limits."