Surendera M. Bhanot

President at RTIFED

RTIFED - short of "RTI Activist Federation" was created under the able stewardship of its erstwhile President Mr. H.C. Arora, and other office bearers and executive committee members / District Presidents and other prominent RTI Activists, has been trying to take the RTI movement to new heights in Punjab. The RTI Activists Federation Punjab, founded in April, 2010, has around 1500 RTI Activists as its members. The membership of the Federation is free (no fee).

Federation is belligerent for appointment of a Nodal authority for dealing with complaints by the RTI Activists against threats, institution of false cases etc. again them. As a matter of fact, in one of PILs filed by Mr. H.C. Arora, the Punjab Government has given a statement in the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab & Haryana to the effect that it has finalized the policy for giving protection to RTI Activists against false cases, and threats etc. He procured the property returns of IAS and IPS officers under RTI Act and brought the same to public domain through newspaper stories. He also procured log-books of the State Information Commissioners and exposed the unwanted activities of some of them. He also got documents relating to sanction and release of grants by CM and other Ministers of Punjab, and brought the irregularities to public domain. Another PIL in the Punjab & Haryana High Court, which is still under adjudication. The Activists of the Federation at Jallandhar have recently exposed a scam worth more than One hundred crores in land allotment to a private school there.

The Federation has deputed one activist, Mr. Surendera M. Bhanot for representing the appellants before the Punjab State Information Commission. His Mobile +919-888-810-811 & email: [email protected]