Hyderabad: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams seems to consider itself beyond the purview of RTI.
In a shocking reply to a simple RTI application filed recently with the TTD, its officials have refused to furnish any information saying the body does not fall under the purview of the Act. This, despite the TTD itself having prepared RTI manuals and nominated public information officers.
US-based RTI activist Suresh Ediga, had filed an RTI query with the TTD to find out how they manage large crowds during the festivals, what kind of preparations are done and what kind of precautions are taken to avoid any man-made disasters.
“The reason for the RTI was in response to the completely avoidable human loss at religious institutions that happens due to sheer negligence and inefficient crowd management,” said Ediga.
In response to the query, the TTD authorities said, “TTD does not fall within the definition of public authority as envisaged under Section 2 (h) of the RTI Act 2005 and hence, is not bound to reply.”
Chief information commissioner Jannat Hussain confirmed that the TTD falls under the ambit of the Act.
State information commissioner Vijaya Babu said, “They are misinterpreting Section 2(h) of the Act. They are inferring that the TTD is not constituted by the Government of India and that they do not get financial support from the government. They are denying that they are using government services. They get police force, subsidised food, and much more.”
