HOW TO USE THE INFORMATION OBTAINED

Information is meaningless and useless if it cannot be put to good use. You have obtained information from the government department and you have got the evidence of corruption in your hands. What do you do
now? What is the next logical step? Of course, the next step would be to let people know and bring the guilty to book. Some of the most effective
methods are listed below:

1. Submit your findings to various vigilance agencies such as CBI, Central Vigilance Commission, local police, etc. and ask them to take action. Also ask them to tell you within 15 days what action will be taken.

2. Write to the concerned department and mark copies to your local MLA, MP, Chief Minister, Prime Minister, High Court, etc. Send them all proof and ask them to take action, and give you a status report within 15 days.

3. After a gap of three weeks, file RTI applications with every government agency to whom you had sent your findings, and demand status report on your complaint. Since they have to give you the status report, and they cannot afford to say “we have done nothing”, they will first take action and then give you a positive status report. If nothing at all, they will start an investigation in the matter. You should file an application every month for an update on the status of investigation.

4. Plan and organize a Jan Sunwai and invite the media, RWAs, other NGOs, politicians. It is a gathering of affected and interested people before whom all facts, records and evidences are placed.

5. Make your findings public through media, your personal contacts, NGOs/RWAs and by holding street or colony level meetings.

6. Send all details in a file and we might be able to suggest additional ways of using the information to good effect. Using your initial discovery, we may perhaps help you discover and expose even more corruption.

Since even CBI and CVC are now bound by law to respond to your RTI application, they will first have to take some action and then report this to you. Imagine, the corrupt government officer or department receiving a letter from CBI asking uncomfortable questions!