MP Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) sought a detailed reply from the district collector and the municipal commissioner Ratlam within three weeks over denying RTI reply on various queries related to the water supply in Subhash Nagar ward number 16 under municipal limits.

MPHRC chairman Justice Narendra Kumar Jain took cognizance in the matter and sought detailed reply from the district collector and municipal commissioner.

Even after the budget of crores of rupees of the year is sanctioned, the fundamental rights of the people are being violated by denying RTI reply on various aspects related to water supply. The concerned authorities of Ratlam Municipal Corporation are silent on the issue.

In Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh, while on the one hand, work worth crores of rupees was done by the Chief Minister Nal Jal Yojana to provide clean water and water supply from door to door, on the other hand, when the responsible officers of the Ratlam Municipal Corporation were asked through RTI about Ratlam’s ward no. 16, according to the municipal records of residents of Subhash Nagar, how much population is registered in the record and how much water is supplied for that number of population daily or on gap of one day , samples of dirty and contaminated water taken for tests.

In response to all these queries, the concerned officer of the municipal corporation, the executive engineer, the subordinate to the corporation commissioner, refused to give the information sought under RTI, flouting responsibility, while it is a matter of fundamental right of Indian citizen.

Since most of the backward and dalit caste families are residing in this area, the acute problem of alleged dirty and gutter water supply in this area has not been resolved and no action has been taken even after several complaints have been lodged by the citizens, the official note of MPHRC on Wednesday said.