Wednesday, December 23, 2015

'I will not be threatened' Kozhikode collector tells TNM after RTI asks odd questions: The NewsMinute

Kozhikode: Kozhikode district collector Prasanth Nair has taken to Facebook to criticise a man who submitted an RTI query questioning the functioning of the Collector's office, purportedly in at attempt to intimidate him.

Since Prasanth Nair took charge as Kozhikode collector in February this year, he has been considered a hero among bureaucrats by the public not just because of his easily accessibility through Facebook, but also because he introduced unique projects like Operation Sulaimani, that gave food for the needy.

On Thursday, Nair put up a Facebook post on his page responding to an RTI query which was filed with his office and made light of it.

In the post ridden with sarcasm, he says that a retired police officer who was now working for some businessmen, had filed an RTI possibly to scare him, but the application had made him laugh. 

Nair told The News Minute that he believed that his strict enforcement of the law had irked many real estate businessmen as he had refused to compromise.

“People should know that this is happening. I find it a comedy and also something to think about. I used my personal account to post this as I wanted to tell them that nothing is going to work as per their will and that I will not be threatened,” he said.

This is what he said on Facebook:

“After retirement (people) should take rest. It is shameful that you find a livelihood by taking quotations from capitalists.
This is what the lion who lost his mane wanted to know through RTI: 
Under which government order collector is interacting with the public?
Under which order he dared to prepare the projects?
Is there a government order to implement project incorporating public?
Has he taken permission to give food to the hungry people?
Name of the people who ate food”
Reading all this, the collectorate was shaking with fear!

This friend makes me laugh. Though you kill me the intention of your sponsors will not work out because law will not allow that. When you had your police uniform you might have threatened poor people like this, but if the same is repeated now even kids will laugh, so please don’t make me laugh."
Nair told TNM that the RTI itself had nothing to do with his post and that the reply is given by his office officially. He however was not willing to disclose who were the 'forces' behind the RTI seeker.

“It is not about an RTI query, there are many things behind this. This person has other people behind him,” he added.

He is the only bureaucrat in the state with more than 1.5 lakh followers in Facebook. His informal and colloquial language in social media made him more accessible to the public. Though he had been criticized by some politicians for his active social media campaigns, he had a wide public support, which is rare for administrators in the state.  

Author: Haritha John

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