Despite repeated orders and reprimands, precious little has been done to provide information to an RTI activist who wanted to blow the lid over 101 missing Ladli Yojana forms from the national capital, which he claims were deliberately misplaced by officials to benefit people of their choice.

In this peculiar case of 101 missing Ladli Yojana forms, an appeal was filed by RTI activist DN Srivastava before the central information commission (CIC) after the repeated denial of information by the public information officer (PIO) south district, department of women and child development (DWCD). Srivastava alleged that some of these applications have been reported missing or not traceable so that the officers could include names of other applicants of their choice to benefit by the scheme.

On 27 October, information commissioner Annapurna Dixit ordered PIO south to show cause as to ‘why a penalty should not be imposed upon him for not having replied to the appellant despite having received the order issued by the appellate authority within the stipulated period of seven days’ by November 20, 2011, sending a copy of the explanation to the appellant too. November is over but PIO south district, DWCD, is yet to send an explanation.

Dixit also directed the secretary, DWCD, to immediately inquire into the matter of lost list of applications and alleged connivance of officials. But no inquiry has been done so far.

It was reported by Governance Now that over hundred applications under the Ladli Yojana went missing from DWCD after it was revealed in the reply of an RTI filed by Srivastava. Though the department denied the allegation, the State Bank of India, Defence Colony branch provided the proof of submission of 101 forms to the DWCD.

Director of DWCD, Rajiv Kale had issued an order on 4 May, 2011, stating that the PIO South, DWCD, “shall inquire into the matter and submit the status report within seven days”.