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Akhil Gogoi
Citizen-nominee for RTI Awards 2009 2009
Reference Number: C802
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Organization: Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti
Nominated by: Separately by Arupjyoti Saikia and Gautam Dutta
Why is he short-listed for RTI Awards 2009?
Gogoi, who is one of the best-known social activists of Assam, started an RTI investigation in March 2006,  followed by a social audit, that led to the expose of a Rs 1.25 core scam in Sampoornai Gram Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) and Rs 60 lakh scam in Indira Awas Yojana in Gamariguri block of Golaghat district.
It brought to light corruption in administration of other schemes as well and arrests of several officials.
The expose rallied the people of Golaghat in protest against corruption in administration of government schemes.
Subsequently, Gogoi faced the wrath of those who had been benefiting from corrupt practices.
Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), a grassroots organization of which Gogoi is Secretary, was branded an illegal group. Gogoi had to go underground for 3-4 months. Two KMSS members were arrested and kept in custody for three months each.
Another RTI investigation by Gogoi detected chain of corruption from FCI godown to the fair price shop.
The probe, which revealed that only 5-15 per cent of wheat flour was reaching intended beneficiaries, also led to arrests of several officials.
Assam government set up three committees for enquiring into the matter. PDS system was reformed. This probe also resulted in threats to Gogoi to the extent that CIC suggested to the state government to provide security to him.
Gogoi has used RTI and community mobilization in his several successful efforts to hold government accountable for its actions. He is also credited with taking RTI to the masses.

Details of the nomination

Gogoi, who belongs to Golaghat district of upper Assam, was a student at Cotton College-Guwahati when he was drawn into the struggle of people of Doyang-Tengani to assert their right to land.
Doyang and Tengani are two regions of Golaghat that have seen struggle over ownership of forest land and resources between the state and the people.
The Doyan-Tengani movement gave Gogoi his first experience in what he perceived to be injustice perpetrated by the state.
Later he turned part of the same movement into a broader struggle for democracy and good governance in the form of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS).
He has been using RTI together with social mobilization to achieve that end.
His field of work includes Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivsagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Nagaon, Morigaon, Darang, Sonitpur, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Kamrup, Borpeta , and Nalbari Districts of Assam.

Gogoi filed an RTI application in March 2006 at ministry of Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD) of Assam, seeking fund allocations and other information on Indira Awas Yojana, Sampoorana Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY), Individual Beneficiary Scheme (IBY), SHG-Bank Linkage Programme, and other such schemes.
The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), which looks after the P&RD department, responded to the RTI application, only after directions from the state information commission, in December 2006.
It provided partial information about Gamariguri block, mainly the beneficiary lists of IAY and SGRY, list of Self Help Groups (SHGs) that got loan from public sector banks. A survey was conducted to verify the information received through RTI.
Written statements were taken from the beneficiaries. The scrutiny revealed serious discrepancies and misappropriation of public funds; for example faked identity had been used to get government support or some names were there but without any actual support or underreported support.
These irregularities were widely reported in the press.
In December 2006, some women of Gamariguri block protested against these malpractices. Subsequently, they also undertook a cycle procession to create awareness. The protestors were physically attacked by those who had been benefiting from these malpractices with the support from the local administration.
This RTI investigation and subsequent social scrutiny brought to light large-scale corruption in administration of government schemes. The probe revealed that DRDA had been illegally diverting funds meant for rural development.
Instead of using the funds in a decentralized manner, DRDA had been utilizing the funds centrally by ignoring the provisions of the Panchayati Raj law. The large Media coverage of the outcome of the RTI investigation led to a mobilization of peoples against corruption.
Subsequently, an attempt was made to paint the protestors and KMSS members as belonging to an extremist outfit. Several members of Assam’s intelligentsia protested against such vilification.
For 4-5 months Gogoi had to hide from the police and the ‘mafia’-like elements who were benefiting from embezzlement. Meanwhile, more RTI applications were filed at DRDA-Golaghat.
A Rs 60 lakh scam in Indira Awas Yojana and another Rs 1.25 core in SGRY scam were revealed. The department was forced to build 120 houses were under IAY scheme. There was also some disciplinary action, including the arrest of Jagwesawar Nath, Project Director of DRDA, Golaghat, in May 2007. Accountant of the same office was also arrested and most of the other employees were transferred.
The RTI related to the SGRY revealed that many roads were built only on paper; entire community came to participate in movement protesting against it; house and roads were newly built. The government was compelled to rethink the system.
An RTI seeking information about the fund distribution for all districts was filed at Directorate P&RD department.
In another significant RTI investigation, Gogoi filed an RTI application with Deputy Director Civil Supplies, Golaghat, in March 2007. It related to Public Distribution System of three eastern Assam districts, Jorhat, Golaghat and Sibsagar.
The application was stonewalled and landed at State information commission. After initial hesitation, the SIC agreed that information should be given free of cost because it was not provided within 30 days.
Approximately 1.85 lakh pages of information was provided free of cost. The KMSS organized a press meet on 11 December 2007 after all information was received. The press widely reported this RTI probe for 27 days from December 12, 2007.
The KMSS decided to conduct a social audit based on this RTI information in two phases. In the first phase, 30 KMSS men tried to verify over 30 days the information received under RTI; their task was to find discrepancies in funds received from state government and those that were received at the district level.
The fund released by the district to each GPSS was compared with the stock register of each Gram Panchayat Samabai Samiti (GPSS). Comparison of stock and sale registrar and also cash memos. Re- allotment of PDS commodities by GPSS to fair price shops/agents was investigated. Quota endorsement books were investigated.
The difference at the state distribution and agent share was estimated. Selected agents’ sale register was assessed.
In the second phase, 200 KMSS men conducted a survey of 5000 families over three months to understand the actual benefits they derived monthly. The survey revealed that in some cases, the rice distributed under Antayodaya scheme was only 15 kg as against the stipulated 35 kg. Similarly Rs 4-5 was being charged as against the stipulated Rs 3.
Assam had also been getting its share of salt but the commodity had not been reaching the fair price shops. The RTI probe and social audit led to the distribution of salt in Assam for the first time.
The RTI probe revealed that only 5-15 percent of wheat/atta allocation was reaching the intended beneficiaries and that too irregularly. There was a chain of people, including politicians and GPSS officials, who had been siphoning off the commodity and deriving commission in the process. The commission ranged from Rs 60 to 100 per quintal. The revelations were widely reported.
A sting was also conducted by secretly taping conversations between GPSS officials, PDS mill owners, kerosene dealers, bureaucracy and black marketers.
Three committees/commissions of enquiry namely, director of food and civil supply, register of cooperative department and bureau of economic offences, were set up. The Chief Secretary wrote to all Deputy Commissioners seeking a through inquiry into the system.
The Secretary, Union ministry of food personally spoke with Gogoi and supported thorough inquiry.
The probe also led to suspension of several GPSS officials. The DDS committed suicide. Several atta mills licences were cancelled. Bikash More, a member of PDS mafia, received an arrest warrant.
PDS system was overhauled. Beneficiaries began receiving salt. PDS mafia was replaced with an accountable and responsible credit system; government also cleared pending AAY carrying bills for three years to GPSS. The economic condition of GPSS improved. Beneficiary list was revised. Price were revised to what was fixed by the government. This entire RTI enquiry became part of a popular movement. Local protests were organized at various levels to enquire into PDS system.
The two RTI probes and movements sent several KMSS people into jail. Gogoi received several threats. SIC wrote to Chief Secretary to provide security to him. Gogoi did not accept the security.
Gogoi’s another significant RTI investigation relates to Oil India Ltd’s seismic survey and proposed oil drilling.
Since 2006, Oil India Ltd (OIL) had been talking about conducting a seismic survey over Brahmaputra riverbed. KMSS and some intellectuals apprehended that such a survey could result in damage to the environment.
A demonstration organized in Guwahati by KMSS on 27th November, 2006, against the seismic survey led to police lathi charge. An RTI request seeking information on seismic survey and oil drilling in the riverbed of Brahmaputra by Oil India Limited was filed at to the CCF Wildlife, Assam on 25 April 2008.
The application sought copies of the executive summary, EIA reports, minutes of public hearing and all other details. The reply to this request revealed technical weakness in OIL’s claims. That information was disseminated through the Media.
The KMSS organized a mass movement challenging the seismic survey of the riverbed of Brahmaputra. As a result of that, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest formed a multi-disciplinary advisory group (MDAG).
Later, KMSS sought the minutes of meetings of MDAG minutes through RTI. The pressure put all who were involved with the MDAG to public scrutiny. All proposals regarding the study of the survey were brought under the RTI.
One RTI revealed the discrepancies of official MDAG, like permission to survey during the dry season before study was completed. The KMSS protested against such irregularities and the river survey was called off.
As MDAG could not get the oil survey done in Brahmaputra before proper studies, the Dibru Saikhowa Wildlife sanctuary, well known for wild horse and exotic birds, became part of new oil drilling.
An RTI was filed on 16 December 2008 at DFO Tinsukia about the survey and associated blasts. The RTI sought a copy of Master plan of Dibru Saikhowa and a map. The RTI information made it clear that all these contradict the basic guiding principles of the management of Sanctuary. Core zone, buffer zone, report of the central empowered committee of Supreme Court,
The pressure of RTI exposure caused OIL to retreat.
When OIL sought to force its way through by initiating the survey, KMSS launched a mass movement on 6 January 2009.
The struggle continues.
Gogoi has taken RTI to its next logical step: mobilizing people against tyranny of undemocratic decision making and encouraging them to assert their rights to have their say.

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