Exposing corruption through RTI costs loss of hand and livelihood of
a local fitter-turned RTI Activist of Nayagargh district, Odisha in 2007-
A Report
On 14.8.18, while conducting RTI
programme in Odagaon block of Nayagarh district, Odisha , I accidentally met Kailash
Pradhan, RTI Activist of 2007 of Nandighore who had come to the meeting
having heard about me coming to the programme. During discussion, I came to know
about his struggle to fight out
corruption, his plight and sufferings till today. In 2007, two years after
enactment of RTI Act , when we were apprentice in field of RTI , Sri Kailash understood power of RTI and used
it extensively spending his hard-earned money generated from his small
garage shop to unearth huge corruption and loot of public
money in Govt. Development Work under NREGA and construction of Canal under
Irrigation Division amashed by Govt. Officials, Junior Engineers
and contractors backed BJD leaders in Odagaon Block. He exposed around 20
works i.e., road construction, canal construction work worth misappropriation
of 20 crores. Armed with information, he filed number of complaints to the
higher authorities including state vigilance. The Govt. Officials and
contractors threatened him of dire consequence several times, if he does not
stop exposing corruption. However , on 19.9.2007, a gang of hired goons
engaged by contractors and BJD leaders attacked him with sharp weapons ,
stabbed him and chopped off his right hand palm in order to make him permanent
disable to write. Though he was taken over to Kalinga Hospital for better
treatment, his hand could not recover after months long treatment by doctors. His
palm remained disable and dysfunctional.
His ordeal does not end here. After
he returned from hospital, he filed FIR in Odagaon police station . Though the
police registered the case, but did not conduct any inquiry and provided
all protection to criminals. Rather police asked him not to pursue the case .
In the meantime all criminals got bail from high court. He was again threatened
by goons and the whole family was terrorised. Having bowed under tremendous
pressure from leaders of ruling party, he stopped all his RTI work since 2007 ,
closed his little shop , permanently lost livelihood, spending time with family
being a big burden on them. He also lost writing capacity permanently. After 10
years, when the lower court started hearing of the case , he was again threaten
not to pursue the case. Tragedy is that just ten days back, he signed in court
paper that he did not want to pursue the case to facilitate to close it permanently.
He is unfortunate that, he could not
find us to fight for him. We the RTI Activists are hovering what to do.
Pradip Pradhan, RTI Activist
M-9937843482
Date- 15.8.18
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